General solution for linear 2D anisotropic surface gravity water waves on uniform current

Measuring and modeling ocean waves is a routine task for oceanographers and marine engineers. Accounting for current effects on waves is less common; however, such effects can be non-trivial, particularly for strong currents. Recent research has also found that currents are increasing with global temperatures. Thus, accounting for currents is of potential importance to a growing subset of real-world environments. One significant impact of currents is their modification of dispersion. It is known that, in contrast to dispersion without current, wave–current dispersion is multivalued and anisotropic, meaning it varies with direction and can yield multiple solutions for the same frequency. Strictly speaking, a complete analysis ought to account for all dispersion solutions. This study presents a general wave field solution for linear steady-state two-dimensional surface gravity waves on current. In contrast to existing formulations, it accounts for the complete set of dispersion solutions. The multiple solutions correspond to linearly independent (same frequency) spatial modes with no analogy in models without current. To fully determine the complete temporal and spatial features of a wave field, one must determine the amplitudes of all spatial modes. This can be achieved through the solution of an inverse problem, provided one has sufficient initial conditions. The significance of accounting for all spatial modes is demonstrated through examples. It is shown that a single time-series measurement is insufficient for determining the spatial features of a monochromatic (single frequency) wave. Rather, additional spatial information must be introduced to render the problem well-posed. The theory and methodology presented can be used to improve wave models and measurements.