REFLECTION AND TRANSMISSION PAST AN ABRUPT TRANSITION

[Robert G. Dean, Robert A. Dalrymple] Water Wave Mechanics Chapter 5 - Long Waves

A more dramatic example of long wave reflection (and transmission) occurs when there is an abrupt change
in depth or channel width. Also in this case, Green's law does not apply due to the presence of a reflected
wave. The fluid domain is divided into regions 1 and 2 as shown. The incoming wave q i will be assumed to
propagate in the positive x direction with height Hi. At the step, it is expected that a portion of the wave will
be reflected and some of it transmitted. Therefore, in each region, the total wave forms are assumed as
follows:

𝐻𝑖 𝐻𝑟
𝜂1 = 𝜂𝑖 + 𝜂𝑟 = 2
cos(𝑘1 𝑥 − 𝜎𝑡) + 2
cos(𝑘1 𝑥 + 𝜎𝑡 + 𝜖𝑟 ) (1)

𝐻𝑡
𝜂2 = 𝜂𝑡 = 2
cos(𝑘2 𝑥 + 𝜎𝑡 + 𝜖𝑡 ) (2)

where the subscripts i, r, and t signify incident, reflected, and transmitted, respectively. The difference in
sign modifying at in the phase function for the reflected wave means that this wave is propagating in the
negative x direction. In each region the angular frequencies are the same; however, the wave numbers are
different due to the change in water depths. The two phase angles, 𝜖𝑟 , and 𝜖𝑡 , are included to allow for the
possible phase differences caused by the reflection process.

At the step there are two boundary considerations that must be met by the wave forms 𝜂1 and 𝜂2 . First (at x
=±𝛿, where 𝛿 is infinitesimally small), the water levels on each side of the step should be the same, as, from
the long wave equations of motion, any finite water level change over an infinitely small distance 2 𝛿 would
give rise to infinite accelerations of the fluid particles. Second, from continuity considerations, the mass flow
rate from region 1 must equal that into region 2. For a homogeneous fluid, this merely reduces to matching
volumetric flow rates between regions. Applying the first condition gives us

𝜂𝑖 + 𝜂𝑟 = 𝜂𝑡 at 𝑥=0 (3)

or, through a trigonometric expansion after substitution,

𝐻 𝐻𝑟 𝐻𝑡 𝐻 𝐻𝑡
𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜎𝑡 ( 2𝑖 + 2
cos 𝜖𝑟 − 2
𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜖𝑡 ) − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜎𝑡 ( 2𝑟 sin 𝜖𝑟 + 2
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜖𝑡 ) =0 (4)

As this condition must be valid for all time t, two independent conditions result by equating each bracketed
term separately to zero:

𝐻𝑖 + 𝐻𝑟 cos 𝜖𝑟 = 𝐻𝑡 cos 𝜖𝑡 (5.a)

𝐻𝑟 sin 𝜖𝑟 = −𝐻𝑡 sin 𝜖𝑡 (5.b)

The continuity of flow condition can be written in terms of the horizontal water particle velocity of the wave
multiplied by the cross-sectional area for each region recalling that for a long wave,

𝜂𝐶
𝑈=
ℎ
in the direction of the wave, we can write

𝑏1 𝐶1 (𝜂𝑖 − 𝜂𝑟 ) = 𝑏2 𝐶2 𝜂𝑖 (6)

The continuity of flow condition can be written in terms of the horizontal water particle velocity of the wave
multiplied by the cross-sectional area for each region recalling that for a long wave,

𝑏1 𝐶1 𝐻𝑖 − 𝑏1 𝐶1 𝐻𝑟 cos 𝜖𝑟 = 𝑏2 𝐶2 𝐻𝑡 cos 𝜖𝑡 (7)

𝑏1 𝐶1 𝐻𝑟 sin 𝜖𝑟 = 𝑏2 𝐶2 𝐻𝑡 sin 𝜖𝑡 (8)

Denoting the reflection and transmission coefficients by Kr (= Hr / Hi) and Kt (= Ht / Hi), respectively, the
four equations (5.a, 7, 5.b, and 8) in terms of the four unknowns (Kr , Kt , 𝜖𝑟 , and 𝜖𝑡 ) are

1 + 𝐾𝑟 cos 𝜖𝑟 = 𝐾𝑡 cos 𝜖𝑡 (9)

𝑏2𝐶2
1 − 𝐾𝑟 cos 𝜖𝑟 = 𝐾𝑡 cos 𝜖𝑡 (10)
𝑏1𝐶1

𝐾𝑟 sin 𝜖𝑟 = −𝐾𝑡 sin 𝜖𝑡 (11)

𝑏2𝐶2
𝐾𝑟 sin 𝜖𝑟 = 𝐾𝑡 sin 𝜖𝑡 (12)
𝑏1𝐶1

Subtraction equation 11 and 12

𝑏2𝐶2
𝐾𝑡(1 + 𝑏1𝐶1) sin 𝜖𝑡 = 0 (13)

𝑏2𝐶2
Multiplying 11 by 𝑏1𝐶1 adding with equation 12

1 ± 𝐾𝑟 = ±𝐾𝑡 (14)
𝑏2𝐶2
1 ± 𝐾𝑟 = ± 𝐾𝑡 𝑏1𝐶1 (15)

Adding equation 14 and 15 we find

2
𝐾𝑡 = ± 𝑏2𝐶2 (16)
1+
𝑏1𝐶1

𝑏2𝐶2
Multiplying equation 14 by 𝑏1𝐶1 and subtracting from equation 15, we find

𝑏2𝐶2
( )−1
𝑏1𝐶1
𝐾𝑟 = ± 𝑏2𝐶2 (17)
( )+1
𝑏1𝐶1

the reflection coefficient should be +I, that is

𝑏2𝐶2
1−( )
𝑏1𝐶1
𝐾𝑟 = 𝑏2𝐶2 (19)
1+( )
𝑏1𝐶1