INFLUENCE OF CURRENTS ON EQUILIBRIUM RANGE SPECTRA OF WIND WAVES

It is well known that water waves tend to be higher or lower as they propagate onto an opposing or following current, respectively. This is also true for wind waves generated on currents. In the equilibrium range of wind waves, however, the spectral densities for the waves generated on a following or opposing current are larger and smaller, respectively, than those for the waves generated on quiescent water. To see this, a series of laboratory experiments was carried out in a wind-wave and current flume for various conditions of water depth, current, and wind. The experimental results qualitatively confirm the theoretical equations proposed by Gadzhiyeb and colleagues (1978) and Suh and colleagues (1994), with the former performing marginally better for following currents and the latter doing better for opposing currents. It is also shown that the partially developed laboratory waves fall under gravity waves so that the laboratory regime represents the open ocean situation.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0733950X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Funding for this research from the Japan Ministry of Transport and the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (under contract number 98-025 of the Research Institute of Engineering Science, Seoul National University) is acknowledged.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Suh, K D
  • Oh, S H
  • Thurston, S W
  • Hashimoto, N
• Publication Date: 2000-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 79-87
• Serial:
  • Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering
  • Volume: 126
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0733-950X
  • EISSN: 1943-5460
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jwped5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Curve fitting; Equilibrium (Mechanics); Experiments; Flumes; Laboratory tests; Ocean currents; Ocean waves; Oceanography; Wind; Wind waves
• Subject Areas: Hydraulics and Hydrology; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00788984
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: 98-025
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 24 2000 12:00AM