Wave-current Interaction (WEC) in the

COAWST Modeling System

Nirnimesh Kumar
with John Warner, George Voulgaris, Maitane
Olabarrieta

*see Kumar et al., 2012 (third paper in your booklet) :

Implementation of the vortex force formalism in the coupled ocean-atmosphere-
wave-sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system for inner shelf and surf zone
applications, Ocean Modelling, Volume 47, 2012, Pages 65-95,
10.1016/j.ocemod.2012.01.003.
*also see Olabarrieta et al., 2012 (fourth paper for applications)
 Wave-averaged Equations
    
t x y x
  y

 H z  u    H z  u  u    H z  v  u   u  H z  u S t  u  H z  v St 
 
ACC HA

  St  c  v u  u
  s  u   u    s   H z  f  v  H z  f  v   H z 
st
 H zv st      sSt
s s x z  x y  s
    
VA COR StCOR PG HVF

w   ' ' v u 
H zF x  H zF  H z D  u w  
s  H z s 
   
BF BA  RA  BtSt  SuSt HM VM

Wave-Current
Description
Interaction
StCOR Stokes-Coriolis Force/Hasselmann Stress
PG Pressure Gradient (Includes Bernoulli head, quasi-static pressure and vertical
vortex force, Eqn. 5, 7, 9 and 13)
HVF Horizontal Vortex Force
BA+RA Breaking & Roller Acceleration (Wave dissipation and roller induced flows)
BtSt+SuSt Bottom & Surface Streaming (Can act as stress in bottom and surface layer)
Exchange of Data Field

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/modeling/COAWST/index.html
 Wave-current Interaction (WEC)
WEC_MELLOR WEC_VF
Implemented in
(Mellor, 2011) Kumar et al., 2011 (Uchiyama et al., 10)

+ Roller Model Implemented in + Dissipation (depth)

Kumar et al., 2012
+ Streaming + Roller Model
+ Wave mixing
+ Streaming
*Processes in italics are optional

cppdefs.h (COAWST/ROMS/Include)
WEC_MELLOR+ Activates the Mellor (2011) method for WEC
WEC_VF
Activate WEC using the Vortex Force formalism (Uchiyama et
(preferred al., 2010)
method for 3D)
 Dissipation (Depth-limited wave breaking)
WDISS_THORGUZA
Use depth-limited wave dissipation based on Thornton
and Guza (1983). See Eqn. (31), pg-71

WDISS_CHURTHOR
Activate depth-limited wave dissipation based on Church
and Thornton (1993). See Eqn. (32), pg-71

Activate wave-dissipation from a wave model. If

WDISS_WAVEMOD using SWAN wave model, use INRHOG=1 for
correct units of wave dissipation
Note:
(a) Use WDISS_THORGUZA/CHURTHOR if no information about wave dissipation is
present, and you can’t run the wave model to obtain depth-limited dissipation

(b)If you do not define any of these options, and still define WEC_VF,
the model expects a forcing file with information about dissipation
 ROLLER MODEL (for Wave Rollers)
ROLLER_SVENDSEN
Activate wave roller based on Svendsen (1984). See
Warner et al. (2008), Eqn. 7 and Eqn. 10.

ROLLLER_MONO
Activate wave roller for monochromatic waves from REF-
DIF. See Haas and Warner, 2009.

ROLLER_RENIERS Activate wave roller based on Reniers et al.

(2004). See Eqn. 34-37 (Advection-Diffusion)

Note:
(a)If defining ROLLER_RENIERS, you must specify the parameter
wec_alpha (αr in Eqn. 34, varying from 0-1) in the INPUT file. Here 0
means no percentage of wave dissipation goes into creating wave
rollers, while 1 means all the wave dissipation creates wave rollers.
 Wave breaking induced mixing
• Activate enhance vertical viscosity mixing from
waves within framework of GLS. See Eq. 44, 46
and 47.

• The parameter αw in Eq. 46 can be specified in the

TKE_WAVEDISS INPUT file as ZOS_HSIG_ALPHA (roughness from
ZOS_HSIG wave amplitude)

• Parameter Cew in Eqn. 47 is specified in the INPUT

file as SZ_ALPHA (roughness from wave
dissipation)

Note: Sensitivity tests for wave-mixing were done in Kumar et al.

(2012). The enhanced mixing is sensitive to Cew
 Bottom and Surface Streaming
Bottom streaming due to waves using Uchiyama et al.
BOTTOM_STREAMING
(2010) methodology. See Eqn. 22-26. This method
requires dissipation due to bottom friction. If not using
a wave model, then uses empirical Eq. 22.

BOTTOM_STREAMING Bottom streaming due to waves based on methodology

_XU_BOWEN of Xu and Bowen, 1994. See Eq. 27.

Surface streaming using Xu and Bowen, 1994. See Eq.

SURFACE_STREAMING
28.

Note:
(a) BOTTOM_STREAMING_XU_BOWEN was tested in Kumar et al. (2012). It requires
very high resolution close to bottom layer. Suggested Vtransform=2 and
Vstretching=3
 Shoreface Test Case
(Obliquely incident waves on a planar beach)

Hsig= 2m
[0,0] Tp = 10s
θ = 10o
z

y
x
[1000,-12]
 Wave field computed using SWAN
 One way coupling (only WEC)
 Application Name: SHOREFACE
 Header file: COAWST/ROMS/Include/shoreface.h
 Input file: COAWST/ROMS/External/ocean_shoreface.in
Header File (COAWST/ROMS/Include)
Input File (COAWST/ROMS/External)
Input File (COAWST/ROMS/External)

Requires a wave forcing file

as one way coupling only
WEC Related Output

Dissip_roller / Eqn. 37
rollA / Eqn. 35
Zetaw / Eqn. 7
qsp / Eqn. 9
bh / Eqn. 5
 Forcing file for one way coupling
Data/ROMS/Forcing/swan_shoreface_angle_forc.nc
Should contain the following variables
Wave Height Hwave
Wave Direction Dwave
Wave Length Lwave
Bottom Orbital Vel. Ub_Swan
Depth-limited breaking Dissip_break
Whitecapping induced breaking Dissip_wcap
Bottom friction induced dissip. Dissip_fric
Time Period Pwave_top/Pwave_bot
 Code Compilation:coawst.bash
 Application Name

 Number of
Nested Grids
 ROOT and
Project Directory
 Define Message
Passage Interface
(MPI), Fortran
Compiler,
NETCDF4
 Header (*.h) &
Analytical (ana_*.h)
./coawst.bash –j N Files
 Running the Shoreface Test Case
np = number of processors
coawstM = Executable created after compilation
Input file = ROMS/External/ocean_shoreface.in

Serial
./coawstS.exe ROMS/External/ocean_shoreface.in

Parallel
mpiexec/run -np 4 ./coawstM.exe ROMS/External/ocean_shoreface.in
Results (I of III)
Significant Wave Height

Sea surface elevation

 Results (II of III)
Depth-averaged Velocities
Cross-shore Vel. Longshore Vel.
 Results (III of III)
Eulerian Stokes

Cross-shore

Longshore

Vertical
 WEC related Diagnostics Terms
(i.e., contribution to momentum balance)
Terms in momentum balance Definition Output
Variable
u_accel/
Local Acc. u_accel/
Local Acc. ubar_accel
ubar_accel
Horizontal u_hadv/ubar_hadv
Advection
Horizontal
Advection u_hadv/ubar_hadv
Vertical u_vadv
Advection
Vertical u_vadv
Coriolis Force
Advection u_cor/ubar_cor
Stokes-Coriolis
Coriolis Force u_stcor/ubar_stcor
u_cor/ubar_cor
Pressure u_prsgrd/ubar_prs
Stokes-Coriolis
Gradient u_stcor/ubar_stcor
grd
Pressure
Vortex Force u_prsgrd/ubar_prs
u_hjvf/ubar_hjvf
Gradient
Vortex Force grd
u_vjvf

Vortex Force u_hjvf/ubar_hjvf

Vortex Force u_vjvf

Terms in momentum balance Definition Output Var.
u_wbrk/ubar_wbrk
Breaking + Roller u_wbrk/ubar_wbrk
u_wrol/ubar_wrol
Breaking + Roller
(see Eqn. 21) Acceleration
Acceleration
+ u_wrol/ubar_wrol
u_bstm/ubar_bstm
Streaming + u_bstm/ubar_bstm
Streaming u_sstm/ubar_sstm
u_sstm/ubar_sstm
BREAKING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TERM
BREAKING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TERM

Pressure Gradient u_prsgrd/ubar_prsgrd

Pressure Gradient u_prsgrd/ubar_prsgrd
Eulerian Contribution ubar_zeta

Eulerian Contribution
Quasi-static response, ubar_zeta
Eqn. 7 ubar_zetw
Bernoulli-head
Quasi-static response, ubar_zbeh
contribution, Eqn. 5 ubar_zetw
Eqn. 7
Surface pressure ubar_zqsp
Bernoulli-head
boundary, Eqn. 9 ubar_zbeh
contribution, Eqn. 5
Surface pressure ubar_zqsp
boundary, Eqn. 9
Inlet Test Case
(WEC in a tidal inlet)  Wave field computed using
SWAN
NORTH
 Two way coupling (WEC
and CEW)
 Application Name:
INLET_TEST
 Header file:
COAWST/Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/
inlet_test.h
 Input file:
COAWST/Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/
ocean_inlet_test.in
 COAWST/Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/
swan_inlet_test.in
 COAWST/Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/
SOUTH coupling_inlet_test.h
 Header File
(COAWST/Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled)
 Input File
(COAWST/Projects/Coupled/ocean_inlet_test.in

ROMS/Functionals/ana_fsobc.h
 Input File
(COAWST/Projects/Coupled/swan_inlet_test.in

INRHOG should be 1
for correct units of
wave dissipation

Example of TEST Command

TEST 120
{}
TEST 0
 Input File
(COAWST/Projects/Coupled/swan_inlet_test.in
 Input File
(COAWST/Projects/Coupled/coupling_inlet_test.in
Code Compilation:coawst.bash

./coawst.bash –j N
 Running the Inlet_Test Case
np = number of processors
coawstM = Executable created after compilation
Input file = Projects/Inlet_Test/Coupled/coupling_inlet_test.in

Serial
./coawstS.exe Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/coupling_inlet_test.in

Parallel
mpiexec/run -np 4 ./coawstM.exe Projects/Inlet_test/Coupled/coupling_inlet_test.in
Results Hsig
 References
Kumar et al., 2012: Implementation of the vortex force formalism in the coupled ocean-
atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system for inner shelf and surf
zone applications, Ocean Modelling, Volume 47, 2012, Pages 65-95,
10.1016/j.ocemod.2012.01.003.

Kumar et al., 2011: Implementation and modification of a three-dimensional radiation

stress formulation for surf zone and rip-current applications, Coastal Engineering, Volume
58, Issue 12, December 2011, Pages 1097-1117, 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2011.06.009.

Olabarrieta, M., J. C. Warner, and N. Kumar (2011), Wave-current interaction in Willapa

Bay, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C12014, doi:10.1029/2011JC007387.

Warner et al., 2008: Development of a three-dimensional, regional, coupled wave,

current, and sediment-transport model, Computers & Geosciences, Volume 34, Issue
10, October 2008, Pages 1284-1306, ISSN 0098-3004, 10.1016/j.cageo.2008.02.012.

Haas and Warner, 2009: Comparing a quasi-3D to a full 3D nearshore circulation model:
SHORECIRC and ROMS, Ocean Modelling, Volume 26, Issues 1–2, 2009, Pages 91-103,
ISSN 1463-5003, 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.09.003.