Variational water-wave model with accurate dispersion and vertical vorticity

A new water wave model has been derived which is based on variational techniques and combines a depth-averaged vertical (component of) vorticity with depth-dependent potential flow. The model facilitates the further restriction of the vertical profile of the velocity potential to n-th order polynomials or a finite element profile with a small number of elements (say), leading to a framework for efficient modelling of the interaction of steepening and breaking waves near the shore with a large-scale horizontal flow. The equations are derived from a constrained variational formulation which leads to conservation laws for energy, mass, momentum and vertical vorticity. It is shown that the potential flow water wave equations and the shallow-water equations are recovered in the relevant limits. Approximate shock relations are provided, which can be used in numerical schemes to model breaking waves.