Fifth Order Stokes Wave Profiles

Fifth-order Stokes wave theory is often used to predict particle velocities and accelerations for substitution in wave force equations. As with all wave theories, validity must be checked in shallow water for the particular application and wave parameters: height H , period T , and water depth d . However, it is not clear that a single test of validity is reasonable for diverse engineering applications. In this note, a monotonic wave profile is one that continually decreases with increasing distance from the crest. Figures are presented showing characteristic wave profiles.