2-D Characteristics of Wave Deformation Due to Wave-Current Interactions with Density Currents in an Estuary

In this study, numerical simulations were conducted in order to understand the role of wave-current interactions in wave deformation. The wave-current interaction mechanisms, wave reflection and energy loss due to currents, the effect of incident conditions on wave-current interactions, the advection-diffusion characteristics of saltwater, and the effect of density currents on wave-current interactions were discussed. In addition, the effect of saltwater–freshwater density on wave-current interactions was investigated under a hypopycnal flow field via numerical model testing. Turbulence was stronger under the influence of wave-current interactions than under the influence of waves alone, as wave-current interactions reduced wave energy, which led to decreases in wave height. This phenomenon was more prominent under shorter wave periods and higher current velocities. These results increase our understanding of hydrodynamic phenomena in estuaries in which saltwater–freshwater and wave-current pairs coexist.