A numerical wave model based on new equations of Boussinesq type which incorporate improved dispersion characteristics

The Boussinesq equations are a modification of the long wave equations to make some allowance for the effects of the non-hydrostatic pressure in short waves, and are capable of describing the transformation of directional, irregular, nonlinear waves in relatively shallow water. This thesis introduces new equations of Boussinesq type in one and two horizontal dimensions that have greatly improved linear dispersion characteristics for water depths up to the 'deepwater limit', and which reduce to a classical form in shallow water. A finite difference model, based on a well-proven prototype which uses an implicit scheme and an alternating direction algorithm, has been developed in one dimension to solve the new equations. It is demonstrated tor linear waves that accurate results can be obtained with computational efficiency even when the spatial and temporal resolution of the waves is low.Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience