Yin, Z.; Wang, Y., and Yang, X., 2019. Regular wave run-up attenuation on a slope by emergent rigid vegetation. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(3), 711–718. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal vegetation can reduce wave run-up on a beach so as to protect coastal structures and humans. The regular wave run-up attenuation on a slope with emergent rigid vegetation idealized by vertical cylinders was investigated experimentally and numerically. A series of physical experiments and a mathematical model coupling the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, the renormalization group k-ϵ equations, and the volume of fluid technique were conducted, and the numerical wave surface exhibited good agreement with the experimental data. The relationships of relative maximum wave run-up R_sc/H and the cylinder effect of wave attenuation on slope K were examined with the slope ratio, wave steepness, and relative distance from cylinders to slope toe. It was found that R_sc/H and K increased with increasing slope ratio, respectively, and increased with decreasing incident wave steepness, respectively. In addition, R_sc/H (K) decreased (increased) with an increase in relative horizontal distance between the closest cylinders and the slope toe. Simple formulas for R_sc/H and K were proposed using dimensional analysis and least squares methods validated well with the experimental data.