On fetch- and duration-limited wind wave growth: Data and parametric model

Abstract

Self-similarity power-laws of wind-wave growth describe idealized cases of fetch-limited and duration-limited conditions. In this paper, a generalized view on wave growth in these two cases is discussed. A parametric model describing uniformly fetch- and duration-limited development of wind waves is suggested. The key assumption of the model is the universality of the self-similar shape of wave spectra for both fetch- and duration-limited conditions. The model justifies the conversion of the data collected at fetch-limited conditions to the data corresponding to duration-limited growth and determines the power-law constants of duration-limited growth from the fetch-limited constants. This general view on wave growth is validated against the experimental data reported previously and wave-gauge data obtained at the Black Sea research platform. As demonstrated, the model tuned through fetch-limited data is also consistent with the field data that correspond to the duration-limited conditions. Possible applications of the suggested parametric model are briefly highlighted.