Laboratory studies of the velocity field over deep-water waves

Abstract

The mean-velocity field over monochromatic, 1·96 Hz, deep-water waves was measured by means of hot-wire anemometers for a range of wind speeds (relative to wave speed) of 0·4 to 3·0. The mean-velocity profile, over waves 0·64 cm in amplitude, was the same as that over a rough plate; that is, the mean velocity varied as the logarithm of the height above the mean-water level, except very close to the water, where the effect of the viscous sublayer became important. The wave-induced perturbation-velocity field and its associated Reynolds stresses were also measured and compared with numerical solutions of various linear equations governing shearing flow over a wavy boundary. The comparison showed that the measured velocity field was not well predicted by these theories.