Research Projects

This proposal aims to offer a consistent theoretical approach capable of adequately predicting the whole wind wave field development process in time and space from initial ripples to finite state. Multiple co-existing spectral harmonics will be considered and each harmonic is a solution of shear flow instability. The growth of harmonics in the initially homogeneous wave field is limited by breaking that gradually extends from shorter to longer waves. The findings from this theoretical analysis will be verified from the available experimental results. While the contribution of some physical processes may differ somewhat for young and for mature waves, in this study, we hope to gain understandings that will also shed light on mechanisms governing the evolution of much longer waves in the ocean.