An Investigation of Wave-Driven Current Characteristics across Fringing Reefs under Monochromatic Waves

The aim of this study is to better understand cross-reef wave-driven current characteristics, which are crucial to biological, ecological, and geomorphological processes within coral reefs. This study reports a set of new wave flume measurements to assess flow along the water depth and across a fringing reef profile under the action of a plunging breaker. Laboratory results are presented in view of cross-reef variations in both the wave height and the mean water level (MWL); the vertical profiles of wave-averaged mean currents below the wave trough and along the reef are also presented. To resolve the two-dimensional vertical (2DV) flow characteristics across the reef, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were solved using k-omega SST closure, modified to improve stability, and a Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach was used to capture the water surface. This numerical model was first validated via experimental measurements in view of waves and flows. It was then used to analyze the cross-reef distributions of the mean flow field, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and Reynolds shear stress across the reef.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate the characteristics of wave-driven currents across coral reefs through experiments and numerical modeling. The experimental results reveal the impact of waves on the water flow, while the numerical simulations provide insights into the vertical profiles and variations of the flow along the reef.