A new class of fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive Green-Naghdi models for efficient 2D simulations

We introduce a new class of two-dimensional fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive Green-Naghdi equations over varying topography. These new Green-Naghdi systems share the same order of precision as the standard one but have a mathematical structure which makes them much more suitable for the numerical resolution, in particular in the demanding case of two dimensional surfaces. For these new models, we develop a high order, well balanced, and robust numerical code relying on a hybrid finite volume and finite difference splitting approach. The hyperbolic part of the equations is handled with a high-order finite volume scheme allowing for breaking waves and dry areas. The dispersive part is treated with a finite difference approach. Higher order accuracy in space and time is achieved through WENO reconstruction methods and through an SSP-RK time stepping. Particular effort is made to ensure positivity of the water depth. Numerical validations are then performed, involving one and two dimensional cases and showing the ability of the resulting numerical model to handle waves propagation and transformation, wetting and drying; some simple treatments of wave breaking are also included. The resulting numerical code is particularly efficient from a computational point of view and very robust; it can therefore be used to handle complex two dimensional configurations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. Allrights reserved.