Nonlinear Wave Group Evolution in Shallow Water

Abstract

Wave group evolution in shallow water of constant depth is investigated experimentally in a laboratory wave tank and simulated numerically applying the Korteweg-de Vries equation. Good agreement between the experimental and the numerical results is obtained. Decomposition into harmonics is performed, and the results are presented separately for the carrier wave frequency, second harmonic, and low harmonic. Experiments and simulations are performed for three values of the forcing amplitude at the wavemaker. The effect of the nonlinearity parameter and its ratio to the dispersion parameter on the evolution of the wave group along the tank is studied.