A finite element solution of the shallow-water wave equations

Abstract A finite element method is presented for the solution of the shallow-water wave equations. The method is characterized by a semi-implicit decoupling algorithm; the grid is composed of isoparametric, biquadratic elements; and the interpolation is mixed, with biquadratic velocity and bilinear elevation. Several test cases are presented to demonstrate the ability of the method, including a simulation of internal waves in Lake Mjosa.