Chapter 7. THE MOST REALISTIC WAVE SYSTEMS WITH 
INFINITELY LONG CRESTS 
Introduction 
In Chapter 6, model wave systems were derived which be- 
came increasingly more complex throughout the chapter. The 
most general wave system mentioned only briefly in the last 
chapter depended on the assumption that the waves came in groups 
separated by an average time interval, T , throughout the storm 
and that the waves were low near the times t =nt + ‘2. 
If sample wave records are examined, it will be found 
that portions of the record do exhibit groups which appear to 
be of a length t . But also it will be found that there are 
long stretches of the record which do not show groups, and 
which appear to be just irregular bumps of assorted heizhts 
and various time separations of the crests. Such records are 
not adequately described by any of the models which were dis- 
cussed in the previous chapter. 
The author has spent many hours in conversations with 
those whose activities are connected with waves. Along the 
New Jersey coast, for example, a fisherman once solemly in- 
formed him that “every seventh wave was the highest." Another 
fisherman was equally positive that every fifth wave was the 
highest. In fact, opinion was well scattered over all values 
from three to seven. A fisherman (or for that matter, any one) 
with a profound faith in any one of these particular integers 
will some day be bowled over by a wave higher than either its 
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