Directional spectrum of wind waves: Part II—comparison and confirmation

Abstract

A model on the directional frequency spectrum of wind waves for deep water is introduced. The comparisons of the proposed model with other existing models show that the proposed model is very close to the JONSWAP model and DHH model for describing the developing waves under the normal spectral bandwidth, and has a better description for the transition of the unidirectional spectrum from ω−4 to ω−5 at a position around ωp, i. e., three time the peak frequency. Comparisons also show that the proposed model describes closely both field data measured by a four-frequency radar and a laser-optical sensor, and laboratory data measured by a laser slope gauge and an imaging optical method. The comparisons further demonstrate that the inverse spectral bandwidth as a new wave parameter is robust for describing the spectral, steepness. Finally, the formula on the local spectral-peak angular frequency is confirmed using the observed two-dimensional spectra.