Nonlinear Interactions in Crossing Sea States

Presented here is a study on the nonlinear effects contributing to extreme events in wave fields characterised by the presence of two distinct spectral peaks, otherwise known as crossing sea states. Simulations based within the framework of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation have shown that the coupling of two wave groups impinging at various angles strongly influences the growth rate of the Benjamin Feir instability, with various angles enhancing the instability and the characteristics of the rogue event itself. This investigation is based on the more general framework of the Euler equations, employing a Higher Order Spectral Method (HOSM) to numerically solve these equations and obtain the time evolution of the crossing sea state.Copyright © 2015 by ASME