Wave transformation and wave-driven flow across a steep coral reef
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2013-08-14
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Observations of waves, setup, and wave-driven mean flows were made on a steep coral forereef and its associated lagoonal system on the north shore of Moorea, French Polynesia. Despite the steep and complex geometry of the forereef, and wave amplitudes that are nearly equal to the mean water depth, linear wave theory showed very good agreement with data. Measurements across the reef illustrate the importance of including both wave transport (owing to Stokes drift), as well as the Eulerian mean transport when computing the fluxes over the reef. Finally, the observed setup closely follows the theoretical relationship derived from classic radiation stress theory, although the two parameters that appear in the model-one reflecting wave breaking, the other the effective depth over the reef crest-must be chosen to match theory to data. © 2013 American Meteorological Society.
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Monismith, SG, LMM Herdman, S Ahmerkamp and JL Hench (2013). Wave transformation and wave-driven flow across a steep coral reef. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 43(7). pp. 1356–1379. 10.1175/JPO-D-12-0164.1 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10766.
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Scholars@Duke

James Hench
Research in my lab focuses on fluid dynamics in the coastal ocean and its effects on transport processes. We use field measurements, computational models, and theoretical analyses to understand fundamental physical processes in these systems. We also work extensively on interdisciplinary problems that have a significant physical component to better understand the effects of water motion on the geochemistry, biology, and ecology of shallow marine systems.
Much of our research is on coral reef hydrodynamics and our lab leads the Physical Oceanographic component of the Moorea Coral Reef LTER project
Current projects include: 1) wave-driven circulation and exchange in coral reef, lagoon, and pass systems; 2) extreme events and their effects on coral reef systems; 3) understanding the effects of rough bottoms such as corals on circulation and scalar mixing; 4) the impact of stratification on vertical mixing in a highly stratified wind-driven estuary; 5) larval transport around a coral reef island; 6) sponge excurrents; and 7) the effects of wave forcing on corallivory.
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