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The analysis of the water wave breaking phenomenon has been on-going for almost 150 years, and many research papers have been published approximating both the local geographic and geometric characteristics of breaking waves. This review of original empirical work, the relationships theorized by each author, and their regions of applicability are detailed to give a historical perspective of wave breaking research but also to illustrate advances in recent years. Subsequently published validity investigations by other authors show the variability and limitations of each approximation and illustrate that the level of understanding in wave breaking parameters has progressed considerably. The understanding of the defining variables in wave breaking progresses annually, however predicting the location, depth and shape of the wave at breaking is still not universally defined. This is in part due to the inherent variability in nature of breaking waves; however, it is compounded by a lack of a collective measurement and definition system for wave breaking parameters.

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of wave breaking on a gravel beach, considering the effects of the groundwater table. Wave breaking in 835 hydraulic model tests is studied. The experimental results of breaking index including the breaking wave height and breaking water depth in a gravel beach are compared with the existing breaking wave formula for computing breaker height and depth. The experimental results indicate that breaking wave heights and water depths are smaller than those in a sandy beach. Further, the higher the groundwater table, the higher breaking wave height and water depth.