EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF BREAKING WAVES ON BEACHES

This master thesis presents an experimental study of plunging breakers on a beach with a slope of 5.1◦. The incoming waves are solitary waves with various amplitudes, and the areas investigated are the swash zone and the plunge point. The purpose of this thesis was to answer some of the questions regarding wave breaking. Surface elevation, velocities close to the beach, maximum run-up and surface profiles have been studied. The experimental investigation revealed that the plunging jet behaved like a stagnation flow at the plunge point. Stretching of the jet was obtained near the boundaries. The motion in the swash zone seemed to be more turbulent as we moved further up the beach. The up-rush motion seemed to be more turbulent than the backwash motion