Correlation between successive wave heights and periods in mixed sea states

Abstract

The degree of dependence between successive wave heights and periods is examined for sea states resulting from the combination of a remotely generated wave field and a locally generated wave system, based on simulated wave records. The sea states analysed represent situations that are swell dominated, wind–sea dominated or they have equivalent energy in the wind–sea and swell components. Results of the analysis of the simulated data have been compared with those expected from the theories for the joint distributions of consecutive wave heights and periods and with the results from a Pierson–Moskowitz target spectrum.