Wave Breaking and Dissipation

Abstract

In oceanic applications, wave breaking is of primary importance in ocean and coastal engineering, oceanography and meteorology, wave forecast, and remote sensing. Scientifically, the breaking presents one of the most interesting and challenging problems of fluid mechanics. This is a phenomenon of rapid release of wave energy, and therefore the main source of dissipation for wind‐generated waves. Breaking waves impact on structures and vessels, on the coast and bottom; facilitate momentum, energy, gas, moisture, and heat exchanges across the air–sea interface; and produce bubbles and aerosols. Wave breaking is an intermittent random process, very fast by comparison with other processes in the..