A machine learning architecture for including wave breaking in envelope-type wave models

Abstract

Wave breaking is a complex physical process about which open questions remain. For some applications, it is critical to include breaking effects in phase-resolved envelope-based wave models such as the non-linear Schrödinger. A promising approach is to use machine learning to capture breaking effects. In the present paper we develop the machine learning architecture to model breaking developed by Eeltink et al. (2022) further, potentially enabling more detailed breaking physics to be captured. We show that this model can be trained on focused wave groups but can also capture breaking in random waves and modulated plane waves. Analysis of the model suggests that the machine learning has broken the problem into two—one part which detects whether the wave is breaking and another which captures the subsequent behaviour, consistent with the way human scientists routinely understand the breaking problem.