An original method is proposed to extract drift velocity induced by waves propagating in a wave flume. The particle image velocimetry technique is employed to measure velocity fields under regular gravity waves propagating at a constant depth. Based on the measurements, the Eulerian mean current velocity is determined. The instantaneous velocity fields are integrated to calculate particle trajectories and the Lagrangian time-averaged vertical distribution of mass-transport velocity. The Stokes drift velocity is determined by subtracting the Eulerian mean current from the Lagrangian mass-transport velocity. The results are in good agreement with theoretical second-order irrotational solution and confirm applicability of the weakly nonlinear solution for calculating transport processes associated with propagating ocean waves.

A theoretical model is developed to study the kinematics of water particles and mass transport of wave-induced flow generated in a closed flume. A semi-analytical pseudo-spectral solution to the problem of mechanically generated nonlinear water waves propagating at a constant depth is derived under the potential flow assumptions. Velocity potential and free-surface displacement functions are represented in a form based on Fourier series. The eigenfunction expansions are resolved by means of a Fast Fourier Transform technique and a higher order time-stepping procedure. The derived nonlinear solution of the wavemaker problem is based on Taylor series representation of the free-surface and wavemaker boundary conditions expanded up to an arbitrary truncation order. This technique is employed to study the evolution of a velocity field and particle trajectories under regular gravity waves generated in a wave flume. The instantaneous velocity fields are integrated in time to calculate the particle trajectories and time-averaged spatial distribution of Lagrangian and Eulerian mean velocities. The theoretical results are compared with the available experimental data. A good agreement is observed, which confirms the applicability of the presented theory to the problems of transport processes associated with the propagation of water waves and their generation in the flume.

Theoretical investigations supported by a series of original laboratory experiments are conducted to study a wave-induced vertical mixing process. The derived semi-analytical solution is very efficient and is applied to predict the effects of water waves on the temperature changes and the evolution of temperature profiles. The results indicate that waves increase a mixing process. The rate of change of the temperature is higher when waves contributed to mixing process and this process increases with increasing the wavelength to water depth ratio. The analysis indicates that for typical ocean waves the contribution of water waves to mixing may be several orders of magnitude higher than a corresponding contribution arising from the classical diffusion process. This implies a need to conduct more theoretical studies and experimental investigation on the effect of water waves on mixing processes. A series of original laboratory experiments were conducted in the insulated wave flume to verify the derived model. The comparisons show a reasonable agreement between predicted and measured temperature profiles. A reasonable agreement between theoretical results and experimental data is observed for the whole considered range of initial temperature distributions. The comparisons indicate that the model is applicable even to cases when gradients in temperature distributions over water depth are fairly high. Theoretical investigations supported by a series of original laboratory experiments are conducted to study a wave-induced vertical mixing process. The derived semi-analytical solution is very efficient and is applied to predict the effects of water waves on the temperature changes and the evolution of temperature profiles. The results indicate that waves increase a mixing process. The rate of change of the temperature is higher when waves contributed to mixing process and this process increases with increasing the wavelength to water depth ratio. The analysis indicates that for typical ocean waves the contribution of water waves to mixing may be several orders of magnitude higher than a corresponding contribution arising from the classical diffusion process. This implies a need to conduct more theoretical studies and experimental investigation on the effect of water waves on mixing processes. A series of original laboratory experiments were conducted in the insulated wave flume to verify the derived model. The comparisons show a reasonable agreement between predicted and measured temperature profiles. A reasonable agreement between theoretical results and experimental data is observed for the whole considered range of initial temperature distributions. The comparisons indicate that the model is applicable even to cases when gradients in temperature distributions over water depth are fairly high.