A study of ocean wave statistical properties using nonlinear, directional, phase-resolved ocean wave-field simulations

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2010In the present work, we study the statistics of wavefields obtained from non-linear phase-resolved simulations. The numerical model used to generate the waves models wave-wave interactions based on the fully non-linear Zakharov equations. We vary the simulated wavefield's input spectral properties: directional spreading function, Phillips parameter and peak shape parameter. We then investigate the relationships between a wavefield's input spectral properties and its output physical properties via statistical analysis. We investigate surface elevation distribution, wave definition methods in a nonlinear wavefield with a two-dimensional wavenumber, defined waves' distributions, and the occurrence and spacing of large wave events.This project was supported by the US Office of Naval Research and the Joint Program between MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute