Abstract
This study is based on the numerical solutions derived with BIM for fully nonlinear two-dimensional irrotational free-surface flows. The solutions compares extremely well with the exact solution of the steady solitary wave on a uniform bottom and the experimental measurements of a solitary wave up to breaking over a bed containing a submerged obstacle and a sloping bottom.
The interaction between a solitary wave and a rectangular step takes a variety of forms, depending on the single parameters ξs which means the rate of the depth change due to the step to the wave-height of the incident solitary wave. The parameter uniquely governs i) the critical incident wave-height which determines the presence of the breaking caused by the step, that is, whether or not an incident wave breaks, ii) the location of the onset of the breaking and iii) the wave-height at the location. These breaking criteria are expressed in regression equations dependent on the parameter.
