Wave Height Calculator

Calculate significant wave height and peak period based on wind speed, fetch length, and duration

Results

Significant Wave Height (Hs):

Peak Period (Tp):

Methodology and Equations

This calculator uses simplified fetch-limited wave growth equations based on the SMB (Sverdrup-Munk-Bretschneider) method. The equations are valid for deep water conditions and assume a constant wind speed over the fetch area.

Significant Wave Height (Hs):

The significant wave height is calculated using the following equation:

H_s = 0.0016 \sqrt{U} \sqrt{F}

Where:

H_s = Significant wave height (m)
U = Wind speed (m/s)
F = Fetch length (km)

Peak Period (Tp):

The peak period is calculated using the following equation:

T_p = 0.286 F^{0.28} U^{0.4}

Where:

T_p = Peak period (s)
F = Fetch length (km)
U = Wind speed (m/s)

Limitations

This calculator has the following limitations:

Assumes fetch-limited conditions
Does not account for complex bathymetry
Assumes constant wind speed and direction
Only valid for deep water conditions
Simplified version of more complex wave growth models

For more accurate predictions in complex environments, consider using advanced numerical models such as SWAN or MIKE21.