Stability of inviscid shear shallow water flows with free surface is studied in the framework of the Benney equations. This is done by investigating the generalized hyperbolicity of the integrodifferential Benney system of equations. It is shown that all shear flows having monotonic convex velocity profiles are stable. The hydrodynamic approximations of the model corresponding to the classes of flows with piecewise linear continuous and discontinuous velocity profiles are derived and studied. It is shown that these approximations possess Hamiltonian structure and a complete system of Riemann invariants, which are found in an explicit form. Sufficient conditions for hyperbolicity of the governing equations for such multilayer flows are formulated. The generalization of the above results to the case of stratified fluid is less obvious, however, it is established that vorticity has a stabilizing effect.

A two-layer long-wave approximation of the homogeneous Euler equations for a free-surface flow evolving over mild slopes is derived. The upper layer is turbulent and is described by depth-averaged equations for the layer thickness, average fluid velocity and fluid turbulent energy. The lower layer is almost potential and can be described by Serre–Su–Gardner–Green–Naghdi equations (a second-order shallow water approximation with respect to the parameter $H/L$, where $H$ is a characteristic water depth and $L$ is a characteristic wavelength). A simple model for vertical turbulent mixing is proposed governing the interaction between these layers. Stationary supercritical solutions to this model are first constructed, containing, in particular, a local turbulent subcritical zone at the forward slope of the wave. The non-stationary model was then numerically solved and compared with experimental data for the following two problems. The first one is the study of surface waves resulting from the interaction of a uniform free-surface flow with an immobile wall (the water hammer problem with a free surface). These waves are sometimes called ‘Favre waves’ in homage to Henry Favre and his contribution to the study of this phenomenon. When the Froude number is between 1 and approximately 1.3, an undular bore appears. The characteristics of the leading wave in an undular bore are in good agreement with experimental data by Favre (Ondes de Translation dans les Canaux Découverts, 1935, Dunod) and Treske (J. Hydraul Res., vol. 32 (3), 1994, pp. 355–370). When the Froude number is between 1.3 and 1.4, the transition from an undular bore to a breaking (monotone) bore occurs. The shoaling and breaking of a solitary wave propagating in a long channel (300 m) of mild slope (1/60) was then studied. Good agreement with experimental data by Hsiao et al. (Coast. Engng, vol. 55, 2008, pp. 975–988) for the wave profile evolution was found.

Abstract. Lie symmetry analysis is applied to study the nonlinear rotating shallow water equations. The 9-dimensional Lie algebra of point symmetries admitted by the model is found. It is shown that the rotating shallow water equations are related with the classical shallow water model with the change of variables. The derived symmetries are used to generate new exact solutions of the rotating shallow equations. In particular, a new class of time-periodic solutions with quasi-closed particle trajectories is constructed and studied. The symmetry reduction method is also used to obtain some invariant solutions of the model. Examples of these solutions are presented with a brief physical interpretation.