ABSTRACT
In the last decades the analysis of surface gravity waves by means of Boussinesq models has proven to be a successful tool in simulating waves propagating in shallow water. These models have been shown to give reliable predictions in comparisons with either field or laboratory data. In fact, Boussinesq equations coincide with shallow water equations for weakly dispersive and weakly nonlinear wave propagation (Peregrine, 1967). From this reason, in their initial form these equations are invalid in intermediate and deep water. Moreover, standard Boussinesq equations are also invalid in the surf zone if dissipation due to wave breaking is not included.
