SnapWave: Fast, implicit wave transformation from offshore to nearshore

Abstract

This paper presents an efficient, implicit, unstructured-grid wave propagation model, SnapWave (Roelvink, 2025), which provides a simple and fast way to predict nearshore wave conditions at specified locations, for coastline models such as ShorelineS, or wave fields and their forcing of flows, to be used in other models, such as Delft3D-FM, XBeach or SFINCS. We describe the numerical method and verify the correct implementation by comparing against analytical solutions for schematized cases. We then test the model application in four different coastal settings by propagating time series of ERA5 hourly wave conditions to observation points nearshore and through the surf zone. We conclude that the model is robust, easy to set up and fast, and can be applied on open coasts worldwide.