Deep water wave growth at short fetchesfor high wind speeds : A desk study on deep water fetch-limited wave growth usingempirical formulations and SWAN

To obtain estimates of wind-induced wave conditions empirical wave growth formulations or numerical wave models such as SWAN may be used. These empirical formulations and SWAN are strictly only valid in the range of wind speeds and fetches for which observations, were made and for which they were validated and verified. If they are applied in extreme situations, for instance, at fetches smaller then 1 km and wind speeds higher then 25 m/s, say, they may lose their validity and uncertainties arc then obviously introduced.
This latter has been point of attention in the harbours of Harlingen and Lemsterbaai, the Netherlands, where two types of empirical formulations and SWAN were used, respectively, to determine the wave conditions at very short fetches and high wind speeds. Significant differences were found to be present in the calculated significant wave height and peak period. The objective of this desk study was to make an inventory of a selection of empirical wave growth formulations and SWAN to get insight in the accuracy (and reliability) of the calculated growth curves.