The wave-current interaction in the coastal area

In our investigation of the effect of wind-waves on barotropic mean flow in coastal areas, we compare two methods for calculating wave-induced force. The wave field is simulated by the nearshore spectral wave model SWAN. The wave-induced force (calculated using the radiation stress gradient and dissipation methods) and the Stokes drift are integrated in the COHERENS circulation model in the depth-averaged mode. The coupled set is validated using well-known academic test cases of planar beach and single-barred beach. Finally, in a two-dimensional test case based on Belgian coastal waters we compare simulations of mean flow using the two methods of calculating wave-induced force against field data. We show clearly that the two methods for calculation of wave-induced force yield very different results even in depth-averaged mode, depending on the angle of incident wave. Simulation of wave-induced circulation using the wave dissipation approach gives better results than using the radiation stress gradient approach. This is clearly visible for strongwave conditions in which the wind is blowing almost parallel to the shore. Under these conditions, the white-capping type of wave breaking is the dominant dissipation mechanism; in the radiation stress gradient, the dissipation signal is not visible, because the energy loss in the spectrum is compensated by wind input.