This calculator determines the how wave height increases when swell moves into an opposing current (in other words, the swell direction is opposite the current direction). If waves get too steep, they will break. In this calculator, we assume waves break when the steepness, calculated as the wave number (k) times the wave amplitude (a), exceeds 0.5 (Longuet-Higgins, 1969).
Enter the wave height and wave period in slack water (outside of the current), and the current speed.
Initial conditions (outside of current): Wave height: meters feet Wave period: seconds Current speed: meters/second knots
Wave height in current:
The calculator is based upon equations (3),(7), and (8) of Baschek, 2005, Wave-current interaction in tidal fronts. 14 th 'Aha Huliko'a Winter Workshop 2005: Rogue Waves, ed. P. Muller and C. Garrett. [retrieved 29 June 2007 from http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/PubServices/2005pdfs/Baschek.pdf]