Distribution of the heights of sea waves: Some effects of nonlinearity and finite band width
Journal Article
·
· J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)
It is shown that some recent data on the crest-to-trough heights of sea waves are fitted just as well as by the one-parameter Rayleigh distribution as by the two-parameter Weibull distribution, provided that the rms amplitude a-bar is taken as 0.925(2m/sub 0/)/sup 1/2/, where m/sub 0/ is the lowest moment of the frequency spectrum. Reasons why the ratio a-bar/(2m/sub 0/)/sup 1/2/, should differ from unity are discussed. It is shown that the effect of finite wave steepness would be to increase the radio by a factor (1+1/2(ak)/sup 2/ approximately, contrary to observation. The effect of finite band width is estimated from a model assuming low background noise superposed linearly on a delta function spectrum. For narrow band widths one obtains the formula a-bar/sup 2//2m/sub 0/=1-0.734v/sup 2/, where v is the rms spread of the noise about the mean frequency. Values of v/sup 2/ corresponding to Pierson-Moskowiez spectra give results in close agreement with observation.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, England Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, Surrey, England
- OSTI ID:
- 5286817
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 85:C3; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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