Generation and dissipation of ocean surface waves

Ocean surface waves constitute one of the most important sources of external forces that act on ships and offshore structures. Most ocean waves are generated by wind, but various other effects such as currents, ground and coastal topology, breaking and wave–wave interaction have an influence on the growth and dissipation of wave energy at specific frequency ranges. These water waves are inherently random in nature and their exact shape is difficult to describe, even when confining the described area to a small range. While many different approaches exist to describe the spectral characteristics of ocean waves, some of the processes which affect the generation of waves are still poorly understood. This paper addresses some techniques which serve to describe seaway spectra with respect to the subsequent analysis of dynamic mechanical systems in the ocean such as ships, platforms and pipelines. Advantages and limits of the different approaches are discussed.