LABORATORY STUDY OF SWELL WAVES PROPAGATING IN A WINDY DOMAIN

Swell is defined as waves which have left their originating area while maintaining a stable shape. Whether in open sea or coastal regions, swell can be influenced by winds blowing from various directions. Numerous theoretical models have been developed to understand the physical mechanisms underlying the interplay between wind-generated waves and swell. Laboratory studies are rare, due to the difficulty of reproducing the conditions that occur in the open sea. Swell propagating with an opposing wind has generally received less attention, although some interesting features, like swell attenuation and wind-waves amplification, were revealed in field observations.