Coastal Bottom Boundary Layers

Abstract

Turbulent boundary layers in oscillatory flow are reviewed. These boundary layers show a thin inner layer with similar characteristics to wall layers in steady flow. Above this, there is an outer layer which has some characteristics which are the same as those of steady flow outer layers and other characteristics which are different. One difference is that the defect velocity profile does not scale on the shear velocity alone. Also, over rough beds, the turbulence intensity in the outer layer falls off with height in a similar way to oscillating grid turbulence. Transition from laminar to turbulent flow is also reviewed. Combined oscillatory and steady flows are only briefly touched on.