Breaking-Limited Wave Heights

1 May 1981

journal article
Published by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Journal of the Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Division

Vol. 107 (2) , 59-69
https://doi.org/10.1061/jwpcdx.0000255

Abstract

Empirical distributions of wave heights derived from field data differ from the theoretical distribution of wave heights as given by the Rayleigh law. A principal cause of this discrepancy is suggested to be that the conventional theory does not in any way account for wave breaking. Based on the assumption that the sea surface is characterized with a narrow-band spectrum, the probability distribution of wave heights limited by breaking, due to a Stokes-type limiting steepness in deep or finite water depths, is derived. The breaking-limited distribution provides a probability discription which compares with two well documented field observations more favorably than the Rayleigh law.

Keywords

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