Propagation of solitary waves over vegetation fields

Vegetation plays a pivotal role in fluvial and coastal flows, affecting their structure and turbulence, thus having a strong impact on the processes of transport and diffusion of nutrients and sediments, as well as on ecosystems and habitats. In the present study, the attenuation of solitary waves propagating in a channel through rigid vegetation has been studied using wave flume experiments and numerical simulations. Different plant densities and arrangements are tested, as well as different submergence ratios. Preliminary results indicate that the submergence ratio and the stem density, rather than the wave characteristics, affect the drag coefficient the most.