Wave-Attenuation-1D: An Idealized One-Dimensional Framework for Wave Attenuation Through Coastal Vegetation Using Numba-Accelerated Shallow Water Equations

Abstract

Coastal vegetation provides critical wave attenuation for shoreline protection, but existing models are computationally prohibitive or lack educational transparency. We present wave-attenuation-1d, an open-source Python package implementing linearized shallow water equations with vegeta\-tion-induced drag. The model uses fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration on a staggered grid, achieving unconditional stability through implicit treatment of the drag term. Numerical experiments with monochromatic waves through 40-meter vegetation patches demonstrate transmission coefficients from 0.655 (sparse) to 0.010 (dense), corresponding to 34.5% and 99.0% wave height reductions. While the one-dimensional framework simplifies three-dimensional flows and flexible vegetation dynamics, it provides a computationally efficient baseline for understanding wave-vegetation interactions. The package features standardized NetCDF output and modular architecture, bridging research-grade simulations and accessible educational tools ...
doi: https://doi.org/10.55787/jtams.2026.1.AI00236