Wave-breaking probability - Breaking and Dissipation of Ocean Surface Waves - page 177

Figure 5.19 Observed dominant wave-breaking probability b T versus U 10 wind speed for three
diverse field sites (a) Black Sea data (*), (b) Lake Washington data (+), (c) composite of the Southern
Ocean data (diamonds) with (a) and (b). Figure is reproduced from Banner et al. ( 2000 ) © American
Meteorological Society. Reprinted with permission
Figure 5.20 Observed dominant wave-breaking probability b T versus wind-forcing parameter
U 10 / c p , denoted as 2 πγ in this figure, for three diverse field sites (a) Black Sea data (*), (b) Lake
Washington data (+) (c) composite of the Southern Ocean data points (diamonds) with (a) and (b).
Figure is reproduced from Banner et al. ( 2000 ) © American Meteorological Society. Reprinted with
permission
Thus, Figures 5.19 - 5.20 support the argument made throughout this topic that the wind's
influence on wave breaking is indirect and, unless the wind forcing is very strong, breaking
mainly comes through the slow increase of wave steepness which is then linked to faster
nonlinear hydrodynamic processes which may lead on to the breaking. Correspondingly,
parameterising the breaking probability by means of wind-speed characteristics is not