Ocean wave tracing v.1: a numerical solver of the wave ray equations for ocean waves on variable currents at arbitrary depths

Abstract

Lateral changes in the group velocity of waves propagating in oceanic or coastal waters cause a deflection in their propagation path. Such refractive effects can be computed given knowledge of the ambient current field and/or the bathymetry. We present an open-source module for solving the wave ray equations by means of numerical integration in Python v3. The solver is implemented for waves on variable currents and arbitrary depths following the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation. The ray tracing module is implemented in a class structure, and the output is verified against analytical solutions and tested for numerical convergence. The solver is accompanied by a set of ancillary functions such as retrieval of ambient conditions using OPeNDAP, transformation of geographical coordinates, and structuring of data using community standards. A number of use examples are also provided.