Nonlinear ship wake waves as a model of rogue waves and a source of danger to the coastal environment: a review

Abstract

A substantial part of the energy of wake waves from high-speedships sailing in shallow water is concentrated in nonlinear componentswhich at times have a solitonic nature. Recent results of investigationsinto solitonic wave interactions within the framework of theKadomtsev-Petviashvili equation and their implications for roguewave theory are reviewed. A surface elevation four times as highas the counterparts occurs if the properties of the interactingwaves are specifically balanced. The slope of the water surfacemay increase eightfold. The resulting structure may persist fora long time. Nonlinear wake components may exert a considerableinfluence on the marine ecosystem in coastal areas

Keywords

• Nonlinear ship waves
• High-speed ships
• Shallow water waves
• Extreme waves
• Solitons
• Soliton interaction