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An experimental study of wind‐generated waves on a water current
Author(s) -
Francis J. R. D.,
Dudgeon C. R.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49709339611
Subject(s) - current (fluid) , wind speed , wind wave , wave height , meteorology , breaking wave , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , mechanics , geology , physics , wave propagation , oceanography , optics
In a laboratory wind tunnel, air was circulated above water which itself was moved by a pump. The resultant waves were measured photographically at fetches less than 7·3 m, and crudely averaged. With opposing water currents, both wave heights and wave lengths were larger than those produced with the same relative wind speed but with no water current: with an assisting water current, wave heights and lengths were both smaller. The waves were of the same steepness ratio for all wind speeds, and were breaking.