A fully nonlinear Boussinesq model in generalized curvilinear coordinates

Based on the fully nonlinear Boussinesq equations in Cartesian coordinates, the equations in generalized coordinates are derived to adapt computations to irregularly shaped shorelines, such as harbors, bays and tidal inlets, and to make computations more efficient in large near-shore regions. Contravariant components of velocity vectors are employed in the derivation instead of the normal components in curvilinear coordinates or original components in Cartesian coordinates, which greatly simplifies the equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. A high-order finite difference scheme with staggered grids in the image domain is adopted in the numerical model. The model is applied to five examples involving curvilinear coordinate systems. The results of these cases are in good agreement with analytical results, experimental data, and the results from the uniform grid model, which shows that the model has good accuracy and efficiency in dealing with the computations of nonlinear surface gravity waves in domains with complicated geometries. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.