Wave

Refraction

Lessen Outcomes
To explain wave refraction effect at nearshore
To perform wave refraction analysis

Wave Advance
Wave front - A curve in the horizontal plane through adjacent
crest points.
Wave orthogonal/ray Path perpendicular to the wave fronts at
every point.

Wave
Front

Horizontal Plane

Wave Front

Orthogonal

Wave Advance

Wave front

Wave Refraction
Wave refraction is the bending effect of wave crest in order to align
with bottom contours as waves are moving over different depths.
During refraction, the wave crest/front bends to align themselves
with the bottom contour and the wave ray becomes more
perpendicular to the shore.

Oblique Waves Refracting across a

Uniformly Sloped Shelf
At deep water (d/L > 0.5), the
wave celerity (C) is constant. o
is the angle between wave
crest and bed contour OR
between the orthogonal and a
normal to the bed contour.
At intermediate depths (d/L <
0.5), the wave crests bend. o
reduce to .

Refraction of a Wave over a Step

C
2d
tanh
C0
L

Snells Law:

C
2d sin
L
tanh

Co
L
sin o Lo

Snells Law
sin
C
L
2d

tanh
sin o Co L0
L

Wave Refraction
The amount of reduction or amplification of waves due to
refraction depends on:
a. bathymetry
b. the initial angle of approach
c. wave period

Wave Refraction
Wave convergence or divergence, which is determined by the
shape of the bottom topography, causes energy to be
concentrated or spread out.

Where there are points or promontories projecting into the sea,

wave fronts on both sides turn toward the point. A greatly
increased amount of wave energy will be focused toward the
point, and will tend to wear it away over time.

Energy Distribution

Refraction Analysis
Wave refraction analysis provides:
(1) Pattern of wave transformation from deepwater to shallow
water.
(2) Determination of the near-shore wave properties and the
energy distribution along the coast.

Refraction Analysis
Consider the principle of energy conservation, the
power transmitted forward between the two
orthogonals is assumed to be constant, so that:

Po P
EoCgo EC g

gH o2bo
8
0.5

H C go bo

H o Cg b

0.5

C go

gH 2b
8

Cg

0.5

C go cos o 0.5

Ks Kr
C cos
g

Kr = Refraction Coefficient

Refraction Analysis
Refracted wave height, H is given by
H
Ks Kr
Ho
Ho = Unrefracted deepwater wave height
Ks = Shoaling coefficient
Kr = Refraction coefficient

H
Ks
Ho '
1

Kr

Bo
cos o 1 sin 2 0 4

2
B
cos 1 sin

Variation of Wave Celerity and

Angle with Depth
sin
C
L
2d

tanh
sin o Co L0
L

d/Lo

Parallel Contour:
Refraction Relationship
between d/Lo, Cd/Co,
o and

Problem
A wave in deep water has the following characteristics:
Ho = 3 m, T = 8 sec, m = 0.02 and o = 30o
a. Calculate Ks, , Kr and H in 10 m of water depth.
b. Determine db and Hb.
c. Locate the breaker line.