Premium
Predicting the breaking onset of surface water waves
Author(s) -
Babanin Alexander,
Chalikov Dmitry,
Young Ian,
Savelyev Ivan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl029135
Subject(s) - breaking wave , limiting , deep water , wind wave , mechanics , surface wave , wave height , monochromatic color , physics , meteorology , geophysics , geology , wave propagation , oceanography , optics , mechanical engineering , engineering
Why do ocean waves break? Understanding this important and obvious property of the ocean surface has been elusive for decades. This paper investigates causes which lead deep‐water two‐dimensional initially monochromatic waves to break. Individual wave steepness is found to be the single parameter which determines whether the wave will break immediately, never break or take a finite number of wave lengths to break. The breaking will occur once the wave reaches the Stokes limiting steepness. The breaking probability and the location of breaking onset can be predicted, properties of incipient breakers measured. Potential applications to field conditions are discussed.