Breaking Waves in the Ocean and around Ships

A wide ranging summary of research on ocean and ship breaking waves carried out within the Ocean Engineering Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara (OEL), beginning in 1985, is presented in a coherent fashion. Emphasis is given to the role of naturally arising wave modulations in their crucial effect on wave breaking, as well as on the essential role which wave breaking plays in wave evolution. The OEL criterion for the onset of wave deformation and breaking is discussed and its mathematical derivation is given; its experimental validation through surface orbital velocity measurements is reviewed. The recent development of a gridless numerical simulation method for the study of post breaking wave flows is discussed, and examples of splashing flows are given, including bores, and bow breaking waves produced by a Wigley hull. Comparison with laboratory and field observations are made whenever possible.