Predicting the breaking onset of surface water waves

被引:103
作者
Babanin, Alexander
Chalikov, Dmitry
Young, Ian
Savelyev, Ivan
机构
[1] Swinburne Univ Technol, Fac Engn & Ind Sci, Melbourne, Vic 3122, Australia
[2] Univ Maryland, Earth Syst Sci Interdisciplinary Ctr, College Pk, MD 20742 USA
[3] Univ Miami, Rosenstiel Sch Marine & Atmospher Sci, Miami, FL 33149 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1029/2006GL029135
中图分类号
P [天文学、地球科学];
学科分类号
07 ;
摘要
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.
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页数:6
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