(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1988-08)
Vengayil, Padrnaraj
Three formulations for the rear face of a growing wind-sea spectrum in finite depth based on
Phillips (1958), Toba (1972) and Donelan et al. (1985) are tested using spectral measurements
from Lake St. Clair. Assuming spectral similarity in wave number space relations
between the energy, equilibrium parameters and peak wave number are derived. Using a
regression analysis, relations are obtained from the data and compared to the theoretical
relations. Results indicate that the formulation based on a high-frequency f-4 tail (Toba,
1972 and Donelan et al., 1985) is better than the Phillips f-5 high-frequency tail. Based
on the effective fetch formulation, wave propagation directions are calculated. Relations
between the spectral parameters, growth-stage variables and fetch are also determined from
the data. The relations indicate a weak dependence of the spectral parameters on depth.
Various source terms in the energy balance equation for wave growth in finite depth water
are estimated for two cases of wave evolution. The relative importance of wind input,
bottom dissipation, white-capping dissipation and nonlinear transfer in the evolution of the
spectra is analyzed.
