.

SWASH. Model description

Isabel Jaln Ro jas

This document corresponds to the third chapter of the Master Tesis THE EFFECT
OF CROSS-SHORE BEACH PROFILE ON RUNUP ELEVATION carried out by
Isabel Jaln Rojas and defended in June 2013 at the University of Cantabria.

Reference: Jaln-Rojas, I. (2013). The eect of cross-shore beach prole on runup

elevation. Master Thesis. University of Cantabria.

Chapter 3

Model description
3.1

Introduction

The numerical model employed in this work is the open source model SWASH,
developed at the Delft University of Technology (Zijlema

et al.,

2011).

SWASH

is a time domain wave propagation model based on the non-linear shallow water
(NLSW) equations with non hydrostatic pressure. It simulates non-hydrostatic, free
surface and rotational ow in one and two dimensions.

The ecient and robust

computational algorithm allows a wide range of time and space scales of surface
waves and shallow water ows in complex and real environments.
The model predicts the transformation of surface waves from oshore to the beach
and reproduces: (1) the main features of surf and swash zone dynamics, such as
nonlinear shoaling, wave breaking, wave runup, wave-driven currents (2) the wave
propagation and agitation in ports and harbors; (3) the shallow water ows in coastal
waters.
The model has been validated with a series of analytical and laboratory test cases
(Zijlema

et al.,

et al.,

2011; Torres-Freyermuth

et al.,

2012; Rijnsdorp

et al.,

2012; Smit

2013). Overall, the level of agreement between predictions and observations

is quite favorable, particularly considering that a wide range of wave conditions and
topographies were modeled. In this cahpter a brief description of the main features of
SWASH are presented. For more details about the numerical model, one can refer to
the papers of (Zijlema & Stelling, 2005; Zijlema

et al.,

2011) where model equation,

boundary conditions, numerical implementation and applications are presented and

discussed.

3.2

Objective

The objective of this chapter is to give an overview of the numerical model SWASH,
describing its main features, advantages, limitations, mathematical description and
numerical scheme.

Several model features as the treatment of breaking process,

bottom friction and the non-hydrostatic term have been detailed.

CHAPTER 3.

3.3

MODEL DESCRIPTION

Mathematical formulation

The model solves the two-dimensional depth-averaged non linear shallow water equations, derived from the incompressible Navier-Stockes equation, in non-conservative
form. However, for simplicity the one-dimensional governing equations, used in this
study, are presented here:

(h + )u
+
=0
t
x
u
u

1
+u
+g
+
t
x
x h +

(3.1)

u |u|
1
q
dz + cf
=
x
h+
h+

(h + )xx
x


(3.2)

t is the time, x the horizontal coordinate located at the sea water level, z the
vertical coordinate pointing upward, u the depth averaged velocity in x- direction,
is the free-surface elevation measured from still water level, h is the still water
depth, q is the non-hydrostatic pressure normalized by the density, g the gravitational
acceleration, cf the dimensionless bottom friction coecient and xx is the horizontal
where

turbulent stress term. The specity of this model is the addition of non-hydrostatic
term to the NSLW equations. The treatment of this term in Eq. 3.2 is presented
below.
Following Stelling & Zijlema (2003), the integral of the non-hydrostatic pressure
gradient in 3.2 can be expressed as

q
1
qb 1 ( h)
dz = (h + )
+ qb
x
2
x
2
x

(3.3)

h
where

qb is the non-hydrostatic pressure at the bed.

some extra equation are needed.

Since the quantity

qb is included,

The Keller-box method (Lam & Simpson, 1976)

is applied to improve the accuracy of the frequency dispersion for relatively short
waves, as demonstrated in (Stelling & Zijlema, 2003):



q|z= q|z=h
qb
1 q 
1 q 
=
=
+
h+
h+
2 z z= 2 z z=h
If

and

are the velocities in the

(3.4)

z -direction at the free surface and at the bed

level, respectively, combining the momentum equations of these vertical components

with Eq.

3.3, and neglecting the advective and diusive terms that are generally

small compared to the vertical acceleration, gives

s
2qb b
=

t
h
t

(3.5)

The kinematic condition provides the vertical velocity at the bottom,

b = u
7

h
x

(3.6)

CHAPTER 3.

MODEL DESCRIPTION

The conservation of local mass remains as

u s b
+
=0
x
h+

(3.7)

On the other hand, the turbulent stresses are related to the horizontal eddy viscosity,

t (x, y, t)

due to wave breaking and subgrid turbulence by

xx = 2t
where the eddy viscosity

u
x

(3.8)

is expressed by the Prandtl mixing length hypothesis.

In summary, the 1D governing equation of SWASH model can be written as:

(h + )u
+
=0
t
x
u
1 qb 1 qb ( h)
u
u |u|
+u
+g
+
+
+ cf
=
t
x
x 2 x
2h
x
h+


1
u
(h + )t 2
h + x
x
b = u

3.4
The

h
x

(3.9)

(3.10)

(3.11)

s
2qb b
=

t
h
t

(3.12)

u s b
+
=0
x
h+

(3.13)

Main features

computational algorithm

of SWASH is based on an explicit, second order

(in space and time) nite dierence method for staggered grids that conserves both
mass and momentum. In the vertical, the computational domain can be divided into
a xed number of terrain-following layers. Zijlema & Stelling (2005) detail the space
discretization in the vertical direction, carried out by a nite volume. The second
order leapfrog scheme (Hansen, 1956) is used for time integration of continuity and
momentum equations, without altering the wave amplitude and getting a accurate
numerical dispersion.
Local mass continuity is enforced by solving a Poisson equation for the pressure
correction which steers the non-hydrostatic pressure towards a state at which all
mass residuals in the active grid cells become negligibly small, reecting that local
mass is conserved (Zijlema, 2012).

The solution of the depth-averaged continuity

equation of the surface elevation provides the global mass conservation.

CHAPTER 3.

To get an acceptable level of

MODEL DESCRIPTION

accuracy of the frequency dispersion, the model

applies: (1) a compact Keller-box dierence scheme for the approximation of vertical
gradients of the non-hydrostatic pressure, (2) the multi-layer mode described above.
For an accurate representation of the

interface of water and land, necessary

for simulating swash motion, SWASH uses a simple and numerically stable wet-dry
approach (Stelling & Duinmeijer, 2003) which ensures non-negative water depths at
every time step by applying a rst order upwind scheme and the following condition
(for a one-dimensional case):

|u| 4t
1.
4x
3.5

(3.14)

Numerical scheme

SWASH uses a nite dierence method on a staggered, orthogonal curvilinear grid of

the governing equations. The numerical scheme of one-dimensional, depth-averaged
shallow water equations in non-conservative form (3.9-3.13), is presented in this
section. The multi-layer case, whose computational domain is divided into a xed
number of terrain-following layers in the vertical direction, is detailed in Zijlema &
Stelling (2005, 2008).
Regular 1D grid is dened by



xi+1/2  xi+1/2 = i4x, i = 0, ...I

with I the number of grid cells and

of the cell center is dened by

4x

the length of the grid cells. The location

xi = (xi1/2 + xi+1/2 )/2. Following the staggered grid

u is located at i + 1/2, while the

convention of the model, the velocity component

variables

, h, qb, t, wb

and

ws

are located at i.

For the time integration an explicit leapfrog scheme in conjunction with a second
order explicit timestep for advection, a rst order explicit time step for the viscosity
term and a rst order implicit time step for the non-hydrostatic part, is used (Zijlema

et al., 2011).

Surface elevation is evaluated at whole time step (n+1/2)4t, 4t being

n the time level tn = n4t, while velocity is evaluated at a half

the time step and

time step.

The explicit time stepping is carried out by solving the discretization of the momentum (3.10) before discretization of mass continuity (3.13). Both discretizations
are presented below:
n+1/2

n1/2

n+1
n+1
n
qb,i+1
qb,i
i+1
in
+
+
4t
4x
24x


n+1
n+1/2  n1/2
n
n
qX
u
b,i+1/2
i+1 i hi+1 + hi
i+1/2  ui+1/2
 X n
+ cf  X n =
24x
hi+1/2
hi+1/2




n1/2
n1/2
n1/2
n1/2
t,i+1 hni+1 ui+3/2 ui+1/2 t,i hni ui+1/2 ui1/2
 X n
hi+1/2 4x2

ui+1/2 ui+1/2

n1/2

n1/2

+ ui+1/2 (Lx u)i+1/2 + g

CHAPTER 3.

MODEL DESCRIPTION

n+1/2
n+1/2
n
n
h
in+1 in
i+1/2 ui+1/2 hi1/2 ui1/2
+
=0
4t
4x

Lx is a nite dierence operator to advection term, a

i+1/2 is based on rst order upwinding, and given as
h

where
and

i+1/2
h

i + min(di , di+1 ),
i+1 + min(di , di+1 ),
=

max(, i+1 ) + min(di , di+1 ),

(3.15)

denotes the averages,

if ui+1/2 > 0
if ui+1/2 < 0
if ui+1/2 = 0

For more details about numerical scheme, see Zijlema

et al.

(3.16)

(2011).

The well-known Courant number, evaluated at a velocity point, is the criterion

to control and adjust dynamically the time step. An additional stability condition
is required for the explicit treatment of the viscosity term,

4t

4x2
2t

(3.17)

smoothed by calculating the maximum of the eddy viscosity at each time step, as

4x2
t = min t ,
24t


3.6


.

(3.18)

Boundary conditions

The 1D model has two boundaries, one at the end of the ume and one at the start of
the ume. At the start of the ume, SWASH 1.10 allows to generate regular waves, by
means of Fourier series or time series, and rst order irregular waves by means of 1D
spectrum specifying a parametric shape (Pierson, Moskowitz, Jonswap or TMA). In
addition, SWASH allows to introduce regular and irregular waves externally created
by means of time series of free surface, as in the case of this work. A weakly reective
condition (Blayo & Debreu, 2005) is adopted to simulate entering waves without some
reection at this boundary:

r
ub =
where

ub

g
(2b )
h+

is the inow velocity at the boundary,

(3.19)

is the surface elevation signal of

the incident wave, and the perpendicularity between incoming/outgoing waves and
the boundary is assumed.
At the end of the ume, we can consider two types of onshore conditions: (1) the
moving shoreline, in the case of ooding or runup computation; (2) an absorbing
condition, in the case where onshore boundary is located in the pre-breaking zone.
Usually, the Sommerfeld's radiation condition is employed

u p u
+ gh
=0
t
x
10

(3.20)

CHAPTER 3.

MODEL DESCRIPTION

which allows the (long) waves to cross the outow boundary without reections
(Zijlema

et al.,

2011). In addition, this condition may be combined with a sponge

layer technique.

3.7

Wave breaking

A simple treatment of wave braking, which does not require any additional calibration, is carried out by considering the similarity between breaking waves and bores.
A hydrostatic pressure distribution is imposed under the wave front (Smit
2013).

et al.,

In order to initiate the wave breaking process, steep bore-like wave fronts

need to be tracked. When the steepness exceeds a fraction of the speed of the wave
front, as follows,

> gh
t

(3.21)

the non-hydrostatic pressure is then neglected and remains so at the front of the
breaker. The parameter
of

> 0 determines the onset of the breaking process.

A value

= 0.6 is recommended for SWASH.

This approach combined with a proper momentum conservation leads to a correct

amount of energy dissipation on the front face of the breaking wave. Moreover, intraphase properties such as asymmetry and skewness are preserved.

3.8

Bottom friction

Bottom friction may aect waves close to the shoreline when waves travel over a
relatively long distance, at an order of several kilometers.

This parameter can be

specied in the model by reading from an input le or from a constant value. For
both depth-averaged calculations and multi-layer mode, bottom friction values are
given by constant, Chezy or Manning values. Zijlema

et al.

(2011) recommends a

bottom friction coecient based on Manning's roughness coecient

cf =

n2 g
h1/3

n
(3.22)

due to the better representation of wave dynamics in the surf zone than other friction
formulations.
In some cases, some inaccuracies may occur in the vertical structure of the velocity.
Thus an alternative calculation of friction coecient, obtained integrating the log-law
velocity prole over depth, may be used:


cf =
where

= 0.4is

ln (h/z0 ) 1

the von Karman constant and

of the log-law prole.

11

2

z0 = ks /30

(3.23)

is the zero-crossing point

CHAPTER 3.

3.9

MODEL DESCRIPTION

Range of applicability

Unlike Boussinesq-type models that improve the frequency dispersion by increasing

the order of derivatives of the dependent variables, SWASH increases the number of

et al., 2011; Zijlema, 2012; Rijnsdorp

et al., 2012) have shown an accurate propagation of progressive regular and rst order
irregular waves using two equidistant layers for kh 3. Overall, SWASH is a robust

layers for this purpose. Several studies (Zijlema

and ecient code to estimate wave and ow quantities to an appropriate level of
accuracy.

3.10

Conclusions

SWASH is an ecient NLSW-type model for predicting wave transformation and

swash motions for a wide range of time and space scales.

The model include a

non-hydrostatic pressure term in order to reproduce short wave propagation where

both frequency dispersion and nonlinear eects play an important role. The nite
dierence numerical model discretises the vertical direction by means of a xed
number of layers. Thereby, it improves the frequency dispersion. The model exhibits
accurate wave dispersion up to

kh =3

with two equidistant layers for progressive

waves The Courant number is the criterion to control and adjust dynamically the
time step and a stable wet-dry approach ensures non-negative water depths at every
time step. The wave breaking and the rate of energy dissipation are parametrized by
means of the maximum local surface steepness. The model allows to generate regular
and rst order irregular wave intrinsically or to introduce at the wave marker free
surface time series created externally.

12

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