An efficient and accurate non-hydrostatic model with embedded Boussinesq-type like equations for surface wave modeling

A novel approach that embeds the Boussinesq-type like equations into ail implicit non-hydrostatic model (NHM) is developed. Instead of using an integration approach, Boussinesq-type like equations with a reference velocity under a virtual grid system are introduced to analytically obtain an analytical form of pressure distribution at the top layer. To determine the size of vertical layers in the model, a top-layer control technique is proposed and the reference location is employed to optimize linear wave dispersion property. The efficiency and accuracy of this NHM with Boussinesq-type like equations (NHM-BTE) are critically examined through four free-surface wave examples. Overall model results show that NHM-BTE using only two vertical layers is capable of accurately simulating highly dispersive wave motion and wave transformation over irregular bathymetry. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.