Dispersive waves generated by an underwater landslide

TL;DR

This paper investigates the generation of dispersive water waves by an underwater landslide, modeling the wave dynamics with a modified Peregrine system and considering seabed curvature effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach that incorporates seabed curvature into the modeling of dispersive wave generation by underwater landslides.

Findings

Dispersive effects are significant for shorter wavelength waves.

The modified Peregrine system effectively models wave dynamics in this context.

Seabed curvature influences landslide trajectory and wave generation.

Abstract

In this work we study the generation of water waves by an underwater sliding mass. The wave dynamics are assumed to fell into the shallow water regime. However, the characteristic wavelength of the free surface motion is generally smaller than in geophysically generated tsunamis. Thus, dispersive effects need to be taken into account. In the present study the fluid layer is modeled by the Peregrine system modified appropriately and written in conservative variables. The landslide is assumed to be a quasi-deformable body of mass whose trajectory is completely determined by its barycenter motion. A differential equation modeling the landslide motion along a curvilinear bottom is obtained by projecting all the forces acting on the submerged body onto a local moving coordinate system. One of the main novelties of our approach consists in taking into account curvature effects of the sea bed.