Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 April 2006
The evolution of a weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive gravity wave in water of depth d over a bottom of gradual slope δ and Chezy friction coefficient Cf is studied. It is found that an initially sinusoidal wave evolves into a periodic sequence of solitary waves with relative amplitude a/d = α1 = 15δ/4Cf if α1 < αb, where αb is the relative amplitude above which breaking occurs. This prediction is supported by observations (Wells 1978) of the evolution of swell over mudflats.
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