Boundary-driven shallow-water wave steepening ($x_b=2gH/(3u_b^{\prime }(0))$)

For an outgoing simple wave into water initially at rest at depth $H$, the incoming Riemann invariant is $u-2\sqrt{gh}=-2\sqrt{gH}$. Thus $\sqrt{gh}=\sqrt{gH}+u/2$ and the outgoing characteristic speed is $v=\sqrt{gH}+3u/2$. A boundary characteristic emitted at time $s$ is $x=v(s)(t-s)$. Its envelope satisfies $t=s+v/v^{\prime }$ and $x=v^2/v^{\prime }$. At a zero-velocity onset with positive acceleration, the leading-edge intersection is the displayed distance. Later characteristic curves can form a shock earlier elsewhere in a sufficiently strong waveform.