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Lifetime characterisation of extreme wave localisations in crossing seas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2025

Y. He Open the ORCID record for Y. He [Opens in a new window] ,
J. Wang Open the ORCID record for J. Wang [Opens in a new window] ,
J. He Open the ORCID record for J. He [Opens in a new window] ,
Y. Li Open the ORCID record for Y. Li [Opens in a new window] ,
X. Feng Open the ORCID record for X. Feng [Opens in a new window]  and
A. Chabchoub Open the ORCID record for A. Chabchoub [Opens in a new window]
Y. He
Affiliation:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
J. Wang*
Affiliation:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Shenzhen 518057, PR China
J. He
Affiliation:
Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China
Y. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens-Lyngby 2800, Denmark School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK
X. Feng
Affiliation:
Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
A. Chabchoub
Affiliation:
Marine Physics and Engineering Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
*
Corresponding author: J. Wang, [email protected]
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Abstract

Rogue waves (RWs) can form on the ocean surface due to the well-known quasi-four-wave resonant interaction or superposition principle. The first is known as the nonlinear focusing mechanism and leads to an increased probability of RWs when unidirectionality and narrowband energy of the wave field are satisfied. This work delves into the dynamics of extreme wave focusing in crossing seas, revealing a distinct type of nonlinear RWs, characterised by a decisive longevity compared with those generated by the dispersive focusing (superposition) mechanism. In fact, through fully nonlinear hydrodynamic numerical simulations, we show that the interactions between two crossing unidirectional wave beams can trigger fully localised and robust development of RWs. These coherent structures, characterised by a typical spectral broadening then spreading in the form of dual bimodality and recurrent wave group focusing, not only defy the weakening expectation of quasi-four-wave resonant interaction in directionally spreading wave fields, but also differ from classical focusing mechanisms already mentioned. This has been determined following a rigorous lifespan-based statistical analysis of extreme wave events in our fully nonlinear simulations. Utilising the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger framework, we also show that such intrinsic focusing dynamics can be captured by weakly nonlinear wave evolution equations. This opens new research avenues for further explorations of these complex and intriguing wave phenomena in hydrodynamics as well as other nonlinear and dispersive multi-wave systems.

JFM classification

Waves/Free-surface Flows: Surface gravity waves Instability: Nonlinear instability Mathematical Foundations: Computational methods
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1008 , 10 April 2025 , A3
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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