Edge waves over a shelf: full linear theory

Abstract

Edge-wave solutions to the linearized shallow-water equations for water waves are well known for a variety of bottom topographies. The only explicit solution using the full linearized theory describes edge waves over a uniformly sloping beach, although the existence of such waves has been established for a wide class of bottom geometries. In this paper the full linearized theory is used to derive the properties of edge waves over a shelf. In particular, curves are presented showing the variation of frequency with wavenumber along the shelf, together with some mode shapes for a particular shelf geometry.