Breaking bore: Physical observations of roller characteristics

•Theoretical and experimental study of upstream propagation of breaking bore roller.•A strongly three-dimensional turbulent flow motion.•Toe perimeter shape fluctuated rapidly with transverse distance and time.•The celerity of the roller toe fluctuated rapidly with time and space.•Instantaneous longitudinal free-surface profile showed significant temporal fluctuations.

In an estuary, a tidal bore is a hydraulic jump in translation generated at the leading edge of the flood tide during the early flood tide under spring macrotidal conditions in a narrow funnelled channel. After formation, the bore is traditionally analysed as a hydraulic jump in translation and its leading edge is characterised by a breaking roller for Fr1 > 1.3–1.5. Herein new unsteady experiments were conducted to investigate in details the upstream propagation of breaking bore roller. The toe perimeter shape fluctuated rapidly with transverse distance and time. A characteristic transverse wave length of the toe perimeter was observed. Both the standard deviation of toe perimeter location and characteristic transverse wave length were comparable to field observations. The celerity of the roller toe fluctuated rapidly with time and space. The instantaneous longitudinal profile of the roller free-surface showed significant temporal and spatial fluctuations. Although the bore propagation may be analysed in an integral form in first approximation, the rapid fluctuations in roller toe perimeter and free-surface profiles indicated a strongly three-dimensional turbulent flow motion.