Weak Local Residuals as Smoothness Indicators in Adaptive Mesh Methods for Shallow Water Flows

Abstract

This paper proposes some formulations of weak local residuals of shallow-water-type equations, namely, one-, one-and-a-half-, and two-dimensional shallow water equations. Smooth parts of numerical solutions have small absolute values of weak local residuals. Rougher parts of numerical solutions have larger absolute values of weak local residuals. This behaviour enables the weak local residuals to detect parts of numerical solutions which are smooth and rough (non-smooth). Weak local residuals that we formulate are implemented successfully as refinement or coarsening indicators for adaptive mesh finite volume methods used to solve shallow water equations.

Keywords

• balance laws
• conservation laws
• finite volume
• shallow water equations
• smoothness indicator
• weak local residual