Temporal and spatial growth of wind waves

Abstract

A solution of Rayleigh's instability equation, which circumvents the apparent critical-layer singularity, is provided. The temporal and spatial growth rates of water waves exposed to a logarithmic wind profile are calculated and discussed. The findings are similar to previously published results, except for shear velocity to-wave celerity ratios larger than 2, where the newly calculated growth rates start to decrease after having reached a distinct maximum. The ratio of the spatial to temporal growth rates is examined. It is shown to deviate by up to 20% from the leading-order value of 2. The implications of the growth rate to the modal distributions of energy input from wind to waves, for young and mature seas, and in temporal/spatial growth scenarios, are analyzed. © 2007 American Meteorological Society.