Comparison of linear and nonlinear extreme wave statistics

Abstract

An extremely large (“freak”) wave is a typical though rare phenomenon observed in the sea. Special theories (for example, the modulation instability theory) were developed to explain mechanics and appearance of freak waves as a result of nonlinear wave-wave interactions. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the freak wave appearance can be also explained by superposition of linear modes with the realistic spectrum. The integral probability of trough-to-crest waves is calculated by two methods: the first one is based on the results of the numerical simulation of a wave field evolution performed with one-dimensional and two-dimensional nonlinear models. The second method is based on calculat..