Effects of benthic biology on bottom boundary layer processes, Dry Tortugas Bank, Florida Keys

 An instrumented tetrapod was deployed for three weeks on the Dry Tortugas Bank at a depth of 26 m in February 1995. Bottom roughness was dominated by shrimp burrows and worm mounds with rms roughness amplitudes ranging from 0.47 to 1.75 cm. Logarithmic velocity profiles show apparent total roughness heights ranging from 0.30 to 1.45 cm, values consistent with observed biological roughness. The bed sediments were weakly bound by an algal crust at the sediment–water interface. When this bound layer was scraped away by a mooring that was accidentally dragged, sharp-crested wave-induced ripples appeared within the resulting swath. We conclude that physically induced roughness is biologically suppressed, but if dominant, would be significantly higher than the prevailing biological roughness.     

An investigation of the velocity field under regular and irregular waves over a sand beach

Near-bed horizontal (cross-shore) and vertical velocity measurements were acquired in a laboratory wave flume over a 1:8 sloping sand beach of finite depth. Data were acquired using a three-component acoustic Doppler velocimeter to measure the velocity field close to, but at a fixed distance from the bed. The near-bed velocity field is examined as close as 1.5 cm above a trough and crest of a ripple under three different types of wave forcing (Stokes waves, Stokes groups, and irregular waves). Although both horizontal and vertical velocity measurements were made, attention is focused primarily on the vertical velocity. The results clearly indicate that the measured near-bed vertical velocity (which was outside the wave-bottom boundary layer) is distinctly nonzero and not well predicted by linear theory. Spectral and bispectral analysis techniques indicate that the vertical velocity responds differently depending on the location over a ripple, and that ripple-induced effects on the velocity field are present as high as 4–8 cm above the bed (for vortex ripples with wavelengths on the order of 8 cm and amplitudes on the order of 2 cm). At greater heights above the bed, the observed wave-induced motion is adequately predicted by the linear theory.     

Transient effects in wave-current boundary layer flow

Previous studies of combined wave and current bottom boundary layer flow have concentrated on the final converged state of the flow following the addition of waves to a current. While this final state is of primary interest to modellers and engineers, it pre-supposes that such a state is actually attained in reality, and this may not always be the case. In addition, it overlooks the interesting and complicated transient effects which occur as a wave-current flow evolves from one state to another. The present study concentrates attention on the transient effects predicted by a “one-equation” turbulence closure model. Results of case studies are presented in which waves are superimposed co-linearly on a current (“forward problem”), and are then removed from the converged wave-current flow (“backward problem”). Two formulations of the “forward” and “backward” problems are discussed. In the first the steady component of the pressure gradient driving the mean flow is held constant throughout, and in the second the steady component of the mass flux is held constant. In each case the detailed evolution of the profiles of mean velocity, turbulent energy, mixing length, eddy viscosity and shear stress are discussed. More generally, the question of the convergence timescale of a combined wave-current flow is considered, and a convergence criterion is proposed.     

Seabed shear stress and bedload transport due to asymmetric and skewed waves

A simple conceptual formulation to compute seabed shear stress due to asymmetric and skewed waves is presented. This formulation generalizes the sinusoidal wave case and uses a variable friction factor to describe the physics of the boundary layer and to parameterize the effects of wave shape. Predictions of bed shear stresses agree with numerical computations using a standard boundary layer model with a k–ε turbulence closure. The bed shear stress formulation is combined with a Meyer-Peter and Müller-type formula to predict sheet flow bedload transport under asymmetric and skewed waves for a horizontal or sloping bed. The predictions agree with oscillatory water tunnel measurements from the literature.     

Sheet flow and suspension of sand in oscillatory boundary layers

after revisionTime-dependent measurements of flow velocities and sediment concentrations were conducted in a large oscillating water tunnel. The measurements were aimed at the flow and sediment dynamics in and above an oscillatory boundary layer in plane bed and sheet-flow conditions. Two asymmetric waves and one sinusoidal wave were imposed using quartz sand with D₅₀ = 0.21 mm. A new electro-resistance probe with a large resolving power was developed for the measurement of the large sediment concentrations in the sheet-flow layer. The measurements revealed a three layer transport system consisting of a pick-up/deposition layer, an upper sheet flow layer and a suspension layer.In the asymmetric wave cases the total net transport was directed “onshore” and was mainly concentrated in the thin sheet flow layer (< 0.5 cm) at the bed. A small net sediment flux was directed “offhore” in the upper suspension layer. The measured flow velocities, sediment concentrations and sedimenl fluxes showed a good qualitative agreement with the results of a (numerical) 1DV boundary-layer flow and transport model. Although the model did not describe all the observed processes in the sheet-flow and suspension layer, the computational results showed a reasonable agreement with measured net transport rates in a wide range of asymmetric wave conditions.     

Magnitude and cross-shore distribution of bed return flow measured on natural beaches

Field measurements of cross-shore currents 0.25 m from the bed were made on two natural beaches under a range of incident wave conditions. The results indicated the presence of a relatively strong, offshore-directed mean current, both within and seaward of the surf zone. Typical velocities within the surf zone were of the order of 0.2–0.3 m/s. This bed return flow, or “undertow”, represents a mass conservation response, returning water seaward that was initially transported onshore in the upper water column, primarily above the trough of the incident waves. The measurements demonstrated that the bed return flow velocity increases with the incident wave height. In addition, the crossshore distribution of the bed return flow is characterised by a mid-surf zone maximum, which exhibits a strong decrease in velocity towards the shoreline and a more gradual decay in the offshore direction. Several bed return flow models based on mass continuity were formulated to predict the cross-shore distribution of the bed return flow under an irregular wave field and were compared with the field data. Best agreement was obtained using shallow water linear wave theory, after including the mass transport associated with unbroken waves. The contribution of the unbroken waves enables net offshore-directed bottom currents to persist outside the region of breaking waves, providing a mechanism, other than rip currents, to transport sediment offshore beyond the surf zone.     

Investigating the impact of surface wave breaking on modeling the trajectories of drifters in the northern Adriatic Sea during a wind-storm event

An accurate numerical prediction of the oceanic upper layer velocity is a demanding requirement for many applications at sea and is a function of several near-surface processes that need to be incorporated in a numerical model. Among them, we assess the effects of vertical resolution, different vertical mixing parameterization (the so-called Generic Length Scale –GLS– set of k–ε, k–ω, gen, and the Mellor–Yamada), and surface roughness values on turbulent kinetic energy (k) injection from breaking waves.First, we modified the GLS turbulence closure formulation in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to incorporate the surface flux of turbulent kinetic energy due to wave breaking. Then, we applied the model to idealized test cases, exploring the sensitivity to the above mentioned factors. Last, the model was applied to a realistic situation in the Adriatic Sea driven by numerical meteorological forcings and river discharges. In this case, numerical drifters were released during an intense episode of Bora winds that occurred in mid-February 2003, and their trajectories compared to the displacement of satellite-tracked drifters deployed during the ADRIA02-03 sea-truth campaign.Results indicted that the inclusion of the wave breaking process helps improve the accuracy of the numerical simulations, subject to an increase in the typical value of the surface roughness z₀. Specifically, the best performance was obtained using α_CH = 56,000 in the Charnok formula, the wave breaking parameterization activated, k–ε as the turbulence closure model. With these options, the relative error with respect to the average distance of the drifter was about 25% (5.5 km/day). The most sensitive factors in the model were found to be the value of α_CH enhanced with respect to a standard value, followed by the adoption of wave breaking parameterization and the particular turbulence closure model selected.     

Flow resistance in the coastal zone

The apparent bed roughness, the roughness value experienced by a mean flow outside the wave-boundary layer, is deduced from the physical bed roughness and the wave–current interaction mechanism. Both the physical bed roughness and the wave–current interaction are described by a (combination of) model(s). Modelling of the apparent bed roughness leads to realistic results, however, the final results are rather sensitive to the particular choice of these models. Four bed form models and two wave–current interaction models were implemented in a 1-DV flow model to calculate near-bed velocities. A comparison between measured and predicted velocities shows that reasonable results can be obtained in this way. A constant bed roughness of 0.1 m, however, leads to even better results at this site during all conditions. This can be explained by the reversed influence of the form roughness and the wave–current interaction on the apparent bed roughness value for varying wave conditions.     

Bed load transport on the shoreface by currents and waves

Tide-driven bed load transport is an important portion of the net annual sediment transport rate in many shoreface and shelf environments. However, bed load transport under waves cannot be measured in the field and bed load transport by currents without waves is barely measurable, even in spring tidal conditions. There is, consequently, a strong lack of field data and validated models. The present field site was on the shoreface and inner shelf at 2 to 8.5 km offshore the central Dutch coast (far outside the surfzone), where tidal currents flow parallel to the coast. Bed load transports were carefully measured with a calibrated sampler in spring tidal conditions without waves at a water depth of 13–18 m with fine and medium sands. The near-bed flow was measured over nearly a year and used for integration to annual transport rates. An empirical bed load model was derived, which predicts bed load transports that are a factor of > 5 smaller than predicted by existing models. However, they agree with laboratory data of sand and gravel transport in currents near incipient motion. The damped transport rates may have been caused by cohesion of sediment or turbulence damping due to mud or biological activity. The annual bed load transport rate was calculated using a probability density function (pdf) derived from the near-bed current and orbital velocity data which represented the current and wave climate well when compared to 30 years of data from a nearby wave station. The effect of wave stirring was included in the transport calculations. The net bed load transport rate is a few m²/year. This is much less than predicted in an earlier model study, which is partly due to different bed load models but also due to the difference in velocity pdf. The annual transport rate is very sensitive to the probability of the largest current velocities.     

The wave plus current flow over vortex ripples at an arbitrary angle

This work concerns the wave plus current flow over a sand bed covered by vortex ripples, with the current and the waves coming from different angles. Experiments were performed in a basin, where current and waves were perpendicular, in order to determine the conditions (current strength) leading to a regular ripple pattern formation. Numerical simulations were conducted changing the direction between the waves and the current from 0° to 90° and the ratio between the current strength and the wave orbital velocity from 0.2 to 1.5. Close to the bed, the current aligns parallel to the ripple crests, leading to a veering current profile with the vertical coordinate. The current-related friction coefficient was calculated. It was found that it decreases as the angle approaches 90°, while it increases for decreasing values of the current with a trend that can be described by a power law.     

A simple model of sediment initiation under waves

A simple model is developed to study the initial motion of sediment on a horizontal bed under non-breaking waves. The model is derived to be A=C(T−T₀) based on a wide range of experimental data collected in different flow regimes, where A is the nearbed semi-excursion of wave motion, T is the wave period, and C and T₀ are the coefficients dependent on sediment properties only. For a given sediment, the onset velocity of sediment motion derived from the model is shown to initially increase sharply with wave period T and then approach a constant. The flow Reynolds number Re corresponding to an initiated sediment is also calculated from the simple model and found to be a function of sediment properties and wave period. For the completeness of this study, the initial motion of light sediment under very short waves is also investigated. The present model agrees well with the available laboratory and field data.     

Tidal boundary layer measurements in the presence of waves

Measurements of tidal current and wave velocity made at 0.69 and 1.85 m above a rough seafloor exhibit large current gradients (boundary layer) in the water column. The logarithmic boundary layer flow model was fitted to the measurements, and thus roughness (z₀) and friction velocity (u^*) parameters were derived. The roughness parameter values were generally consistent with the observed upstream physical roughness. The values of both parameters for conditions in the rough turbulence flow regime are generally larger (much larger for ebb) than earlier published values for similar measurements of currents in the absence of significant waves but are comparable to values from recent measurements of currents in the presence of storm waves. The high parameter values here appear to relate more to the magnitude of the current and to the upstream physical bottom roughness than to the magnitude of the seastate. Large boundary layers in the flow at the seabed have a profound effect on the design of offshore structures such as offshore pipelines.     

Movable bed roughness and current profiles in the presence of irregular waves with an arbitrary angle to currents

The bed roughness k_s and current velocity profiles in the presence of waves with an arbitrary angle θ to currents are studied. It is found that the movable bed roughness is affected by both the wave and the current and only slightly by the angle θ between the wave propagation and the current, and that existing formulae derived in purely oscillatory flows generally fail to predict k_s. In the present study, a new formula which takes account the effect of the wave and the current on the bed roughness is suggested to calculate k_s in combined wave-current flows. With the present formula, the current profiles calculated by the model of You agree satisfactorily with the laboratory data of van Kampen and Nap and Havinga, and the field measurements of Grant and Williams and Drake et al.     

Numerical Modeling of a Round Jet Discharged into Random Waves

Coastal disposal of waste water can be idealized as the problem of a jet under random waves. Understanding of this phenomenon is important for engineering design and environmental impact assessment. The present study aims to simulate such phenomenon by using a 3D numerical model based on the solution of the spatially filtered and σ-transformed Navier–Stokes equations with dynamic sub-grid scale model of turbulence. The numerical solution procedures are split into three steps: advection, diffusion and pressure propagation, and a Lagrange–Euler method is used to track the free surface. Cases of vertical jet in stagnant water, pure random waves and vertical jet in random waves are simulated with the same grid system for comparative study. Different methods of generating jet inflow turbulence have been tested and the method of jet azimuthal modes is found to be the optimum. The numerical results reproduce the distinct characteristics of jet in waves, including faster decay of centerline velocity, wider lateral spreading and the occurrence of wave tractive mechanism.     

The vertical structure of combined wave–current flow

A simple numerical model, based on the Reynolds stress equations and k–ε turbulence closure scheme, is developed for the coastal wave and current bottom boundary layer. The current friction velocity is introduced to account for the effect of currents on waves. The implicit Crank–Nicolson finite difference method discretizes the governing equations. Vertical changing step grids with the constant ratio for two adjacent spatial steps are used together with the equal time steps in the modeling. Vertical profiles of mean current velocity and wave velocity amplitude are obtained. These modeled results are compared with the laboratory experimental data of Van Doorn [1981. Experimental investigation of near bottom velocities in water waves with and without a current. Report M1423, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands; 1982. Experimenteel onderzoek naar het snelheidsveld in de turbulente bodemgrenslaag in een oscillerende stroming in een golftunnel. Report M1562, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands]. It has been shown that modeled and observed (Van Doorn, T., 1981. Experimental investigation of near bottom velocities in water waves with and without a current. Report M1423, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands; 1982. Experimenteel onderzoek naar het snelheidsveld in de turbulente bodemgrenslaag in een oscillerende stroming in een golftunnel. Report M1562, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands) mean velocity profiles within the wave and current bottom boundary layer are in better agreement than outside. Modeled and observed (Van Doorn, T., 1981. Experimental investigation of near bottom velocities in water waves with and without a current. Report M1423, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands) wave velocity amplitude profiles within the wave and current bottom boundary layer are in better agreement than outside. Modeled wave velocity amplitudes are in good agreement with the laboratory experimental data of Van Doorn [1982. Experimenteel onderzoek naar het snelheidsveld in de turbulente bodemgrenslaag in een oscillerende stroming in een golftunnel. Report M1562, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, The Netherlands].     

Fine sediment resuspension dynamics in a large semi-enclosed bay

A field study was conducted to investigate fine sediment resuspension dynamics in Moreton Bay, a large semi-enclosed bay situated in South East Queensland, Australia. One S4ADW current meter and three OBS sensors were used to collect the field data on tides, mean currents, waves and suspended sediment concentrations in a mean water depth of 6.1 m for about 3 weeks. Two small cleaning units were specially designed to automatically clean the OBS sensors several times every hour to avoid biological growth on the OBS sensors. Based on the collected field data, the main driving force for fine sediment resuspension is found to be the storm wind-waves generated locally in the Bay, not the tidal current or penetrated ocean swell. The critical wind-wave orbital velocity for sediment resuspension was determined to be U_rms=7 cm/s and the critical bed shear stress τ_cr=0.083–0.095 Pa at this study site.     

Experimental determination of wavelengths in the presence of a mean current

This paper describes a simple method for determining the wavelength of small amplitude waves under laboratory conditions where reflected wave components are present both with and without a mean current flow superimposed. It assumes a locally horizontal bed but requires no a priori assumption concerning the form of the dispersion relation with a coexisting current. Synchronous measurements of the water surface recorded along any straight line are analysed to yield Fourier coefficients at each location. It is then shown that for all practical conditions excluding a perfect standing wave, the average rate of change of wave phase in the chosen direction can be related directly to the component of incident wave number in that direction, irrespective of reflection coefficient or relative current strength. The technique has been applied to regular and bichromatic waves in a flume with an absorbing wave generator, and can also be applied in 3-D wave basins where waves and currents intersect at arbitrary angles. In combined wave–current experiments, by assuming the linear dispersion relation, it is also possible to estimate the effective current velocity.     

Laboratory study of wave and turbulence velocities in a broad-banded irregular wave surf zone

The characteristics of wave and turbulence velocities created by a broad-banded irregular wave train breaking on a 1:35 slope were studied in a laboratory wave flume. Water particle velocities were measured simultaneously with wave elevations at three cross-shore locations inside the surf zone. The measured data were separated into low-frequency and high-frequency time series using a Fourier filter. The measured velocities were further separated into organized wave-induced velocities and turbulent velocity fluctuations by ensemble averaging. The broad-banded irregular waves created a wide surf zone that was dominated by spilling type breakers. A wave-by-wave analysis was carried out to obtain the probability distributions of individual wave heights, wave periods, peak wave velocities, and wave-averaged turbulent kinetic energies and Reynolds stresses. The results showed that there was a consistent increase in the kurtosis of the vertical velocity distribution from the surface to the bottom. The abnormally large downward velocities were produced by plunging breakers that occurred from time to time. It was found that the mean of the highest one-third wave-averaged turbulent kinetic energy values in the irregular waves was about the same as the time-averaged turbulent kinetic energy in a regular wave with similar deep-water wave height to wavelength ratio. It was also found that the correlation coefficient of the Reynolds stress varied strongly with turbulence intensity. Good correlation between u′ and w′ was obtained when the turbulence intensity was high; the correlation coefficient was about 0.3–0.5. The Reynolds stress correlation coefficient decreased over a wave cycle, and with distance from the water surface. Under the irregular breaking waves, turbulent kinetic energy was transported downward and landward by turbulent velocity fluctuations and wave velocities, and upward and seaward by the undertow. The undertow in the irregular waves was similar in vertical structure but lower in magnitude than in regular waves, and the horizontal velocity profiles under the low-frequency waves were approximately uniform.     

A new view of near-shore dynamics based on observations from HF Radar

Since 1984 the OSCR HF Radar system has been used in over 50 deployments to measure near-shore surface currents for both scientific and engineering applications. The enhanced scope, resolution and accuracy of these measurements have yielded new insights into the tidal, wind and density driven dynamics of the near-shore zone.Tidal current ellipses obtained from these radar measurements have been shown to be in good aggrement with values calculated by numerical models both for the predominant constituents and also for higher harmonics. Coherent patterns of wind-forced currents ahve been determined with strong evidence of a “slab-like” surface response. In one deployment, with offshore winds blowing over relatively deep water, this “slab” rotated clockwise at near-inertial frequency. Strong (up to 20cm s⁻¹), persistent surface residual currents are commonly observed, these are almost certainly generated by (small) horizontal density gradients. These observed surface residuals provide ideal data for rigorous testing of 3-D numerical models.With a threatened rise in sea level, HF Radar is well-suited for observing the expected changes in the dynamics of near-shore regions. Continuing development of these radar systems offers exciting prospects of remote sensing of both surface waves and currents. Future applications may extend beyond the near-shore region to measurements along the shelf-edge, in oceanic gyres and for “beach-processes”.     

Wave boundary layer over a stone-covered bed

This paper summarizes the results of an experimental investigation on wave boundary layers over a bed with large roughness, simulating stone/rock/armour block cover on the sea bottom. The roughness elements used in the experiments were stones the size of 1.4cm and 3.85cm in one group of experiments and regular ping-pong balls the size 3.6cm in the other. The orbital-motion-amplitude-to-roughness ratio at the bed was rather small, in the range a/k_s = 0.6–3. The mean and turbulence properties of the boundary-layer flow were measured. Various configurations of the roughness elements were used in the ping-pong ball experiments to study the influence of packing pattern, packing density, number of layers and surface roughness of the roughness elements. The results show that the friction factor seems to be not extremely sensitive to these factors. The results also show that the friction factor for small values of the parameter a/k_s does not seem to tend to a constant value as a/k_s → 0 (contrary to the suggestion made by some previous investigators). The present friction-factor data indicates that the friction factor constantly increases with decreasing a/k_s. An empirical expression is given for the friction factor for small values of a/k_s. The results further show that the phase lead of the bed friction velocity over the surface elevation does not seem to change radically with a/k_s, and found to be in the range 12°–23°. Furthermore the results show that the boundary-layer turbulence also is not extremely sensitive to the packing pattern, the packing density, the number of layers and the surface roughness of the roughness elements. There exists a steady streaming near the bed in the direction of wave propagation, in agreement with the existing work. The present data indicate that the steady streaming is markedly smaller in the case where the ping-pong balls are aligned at 45° to the wave direction than in the case with 90° alignment. Likewise, it is found that the steady streaming is relatively smaller in the case of the one-layer ping-pong-ball roughness than in the case of the two-layer situation.