Modelling rogue waves through exact dynamical lump soliton controlled by ocean currents

Abstract

Rogue waves are extraordinarily high and steep isolated waves, which appear suddenly in a calm sea and disappear equally fast. However, though the rogue waves are localized surface waves, their theoretical models and experimental observations are available mostly in one dimension, with the majority of them admitting only limited and fixed amplitude and modular inclination of the wave. We propose two dimensions, exactly solvable nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation derivable from the basic hydrodynamic equations and endowed with integrable structures. The proposed two-dimensional equation exhibits modulation instability and frequency correction induced by the nonlinear effect, with a directional preference, all of which can be determined through precise analytic result. The twodimensional NLS equation allows also an exact lump soliton which can model a full-grown surface rogue wave with adjustable height and modular inclination. The lump soliton under the influence of an ocean current appears and disappears preceded by a hole state, with its dynamics controlled by the current term. These desirable properties make our exact model promising for describing ocean rogue waves. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.