We demonstrate the efficacy of a commercial portable 2D laser scanner (operating at a wavelength close to 1,000 nm) deployed from a fixed-wing aircraft for measuring the sea surface topography and wave profiles over coastal waters. The LiDAR instrumentation enabled simultaneous measurements of the 2D laser scanner with two independent inertial navigation units, and also simultaneous measurement...

The nearshore potential vorticity balance of Bowen and Holman (1989) is expanded to include the forcing from wave group-induced radiation stresses. Model results suggest that the forcing from these radiation stresses can drive oscillations in the longshore current that have a spatial structure similar to linear shear instabilities of the longshore current. In addition, the forced response is ne...

This paper presents new laboratory data on long-wave (surf-beat) forcing by the random breaking of shorter gravity water waves on a plane beach. The data include incident and outgoing wave amplitudes, together with shoreline oscillation amplitudes at long-wave frequencies, from which the correlation between forced long waves and short-wave groups is examined. A detailed analysis of the cross-sh...

In this report, generalized wave breaking equations are developed using three dimensional fully nonlinear extended Boussinesq equations to encompass rotational dynamics in wave breaking zone. The derivation for vorticity distributions are developed from Reynold based stress equations.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

[1] Absolute and relative diffusivity are measured on a rip-channeled beach using 30 position-tracking drifters released in clusters (4–12 drifters) deployed on 7 days with different wave forcing and tidal elevations at Sand City, Monterey Bay, California. Diffusivity and dispersion were found to be larger on days with rip current flow patterns and larger waves. Rip currents cause material to d...