Wave height for ~550' between crests?

[bntii]

Can the wave height be guessed at for a length of ~550' between crests


Thanks

[Ad Hoc]

Yes you can. BUT, there are many variables that need to be consdierd before provding a "guess".

Such as wind driven, fetch, depth of water, steepness of profile and period. Without knowing these, the wave length of a deep ocean wave and its height would be very different from a wave of same length in shore in limited depth, as an example.

[bntii]

Thanks much for that.
I was looking through some old satellite photos & took note of a few containing these wave trains striking a coast.
Not much info could be had other than depth for this shore line.

[Ad Hoc]

Here is just two of many "typical" guessing guides you may come across:

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by Ad Hoc

Here is just two of many "typical" guessing guides you may come across:

And the following site explains pretty well the physics and variables involved in those graphs: http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/tutor...vebasics.shtml

[bntii]

Thanks both- the photo just caught my eye as perhaps a chance image of some storm surge coming ashore.
The photo is of Cape Hatteras on 2/28/1993 (google earth).

[SheetWise]

I'm also interested in any input here. Swells, waves, and seas -- I'm sometimes confused by this -- they're the same, but different. I've read about ratios that limit development, but those limits -- as seen on shore -- would be unnavigable at sea. What "rule of thumb" or heuristic do you use to determine wavelength to height?

[philSweet]

Wavelength and height are nearly independent in ocean waves. Wavelength and velocity are closely related. There are different models for sea waves that produce differing predictions for orbital motion of the surface and therefore different decay and interference phenomena.


The Wiki entry for cnoidal waves seems to be the best cross-linked article. You can get pretty much anywhere from there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnoidal_wave

[SheetWise]

Thanks philSweet --

I'll follow it further as I have time. One thing that I've noticed over the years about wikipedia is that when they comment on a field I master -- they're abysmally wrong, and don't always accept corrections and advice very well. It makes me distrust the site on subjects I want to learn. Always good to get a thumbs up on wikipedia from someone who know the topic. Thanks again.