This value is lower than that derived from Sir 
Thomas Stanton’s experiments (table 3), and it is 
very much lower than Jeffrey’s value of 0.27. If 
the latter value were valid, it would imply that 
all the dissipated energy would be required for 
raising the significant waves alone, but no support 
can be found for such a contention. 
€'= R,/RU+ Ry /R, 
=R/R+R,/Ry 
Figure 9.—Energy budget for growing waves. Solid lines show amounts of energy transmitted by norma! 
and tangential wind stresses; dashed lines show amounts needed for changing wave height and wave 
velocity. 
atmosphere and are shown as functions of wave age. 
OBSERVATIONS OF THE GROWTH OF WAVES 
The sea surface does not appear as a sequence 
of rhythmic waves but in spite of its irregular 
appearance it is possible to apply the terms wave 
period, wave length, and wave velocity, because 
same of the waves are- more conspicuous than 
23 
All amounts are expressed as percentages of the energy dissipated in the lowest layer of the 
others and their characteristics can be observed. 
Simultaneous measurements of two or three of 
the wave characteristics, C, LZ, and T, afford 
checks on the possibility of applying the wave 
theory since they are so interrelated that if one 
