Wave-current interaction on a free surface

Dan Crisan, Darryl D. Holm, Oliver D. Street

Published 2020-12-23Version 1

The classic evolution equations for potential flow on the free surface of a fluid flow are not closed and the wave dynamics do not cause circulation of the fluid velocity on the free surface. The equations for free-surface motion we derive here are closed and they are not restricted to potential flow. Hence, true wave-current interaction occurs. In particular, the Kelvin-Noether theorem demonstrates that wave activity can induce fluid circulation and vorticity dynamics on the free surface. The wave-current interaction equations introduced here open new vistas for both the deterministic and stochastic analysis of nonlinear waves on free surfaces.