1. Maximum wave height .and fetch . For a given wind velocity 

 the v/avo height becoiues greater the longer the stretch of water 

 (fetch) over wh-ich the wind has blown. Even with a very strong 

 wind the wave height for a given fetch does not exceed a certain 

 maximum value. For fetches larger than 10 nautical miles it has 

 been observed that 



max 



^■'f 



v/here H represents the raximum orobable wave height in feet 

 max - 



with very strong winds and F is the fetch in nautical miles. 



2. Wave velocity and "etch . At a given wind velocity the 

 v\fave velocity increases with increasing fetch. 



3. Wave height and wind velocity . The height in feet of the 

 greatest waves mth high wind velocities lias been observed to be 

 about O.C of the wind velocity in knots. If the entire range of 

 v/ind velocities is considered, the observed data conform to 



H = 0.026 U^ 



where U represents the wind velocity in knots. 



4. Wave velocity and v.dnd velocity . Although the ratio of 

 wave velocity to wind velocity has been observed to vary from 

 less than 0.1 to nearly 2.0, the average maximum wave velocity 

 apparently sli.ghtly exceeds the wind velocity when the latter is 

 less than about 25 Imots, and is somewhat less than the v;ind 

 velocity at higher wind speeds. 



5. Wave height and dui'-aticn of wind . The time required to 

 develop v;aves of maximum height corresponding to a given wind 



