Gentle spilling breakers: crest profile evolution

The surface profile histories of gentle spilling breakers generated mechanically with a dispersive focusing technique are studied experimentally. Froude-scaled generation conditions are used to produce waves with three average frequencies: f(0) = 1.42, 1.26, and 1.15 Hz. At each frequency, the strength of the breaker is varied by varying the overall amplitude of the wavemaker motion. It is found that in all cases the beginning of the breaking process is marked by the formation of a bulge in the profile at the crest on the forward face of the wave. The leading edge of this bulge is called the toe. As the breaking process continues, the bulge becomes more pronounced while the toe remains in nearly a fixed position relative to the crest. Capillary waves form ahead of the toe. At a time of about 0.1/f(0) after the bulge first becomes visible, the toe begins to move down the face of the wave and very quickly accelerates to a constant velocity which scales with the wave crest speed. During this phase of the breaker evolution, the surface profile between the toe and the crest develops ripples which eventually are left behind the wave crest. It is found that the height of the toe above the mean water level scales with the nominal wavelength lambda(0) = g/(2 pi f(0)(2)) of the breaker, while the size and shape of the bulge and the length of the capillary waves ahead of the toe are independent of f(0).