The wind-induced wave growth rate and the spectrum of the gravity- capillary waves

Abstract

A form of the spectrum of gravity-capillary waves is suggested, based on a balance of the wind input, the spectral flux divergence, the viscous dissipation, and the modulation from the wave-drift interaction. A kinematic wave breaking criterion is applied in the calculation of the short-wave dissipation. ERS-1 scatterometer models and radar backscatter measurements in the open ocean are used to confirm the proposed spectrum model. -from Authors