Stokes Drift Estimation for Sea States Based on Long-Term Variation of Wind Statistics

Abstract

This paper provides a simple analytical method which can be used to give estimates of the Stokes drift within sea states based on long-term variation of wind conditions. This is exemplified by using long-term wind statistics from the Northern North Sea and the Northwest Shelf of Australia. The paper presents the mean values and the standard deviations of the surface Stokes drift and the Stokes transport. Based on, for example, global wind statistics, the present analytical results can be used to make estimates of the Stokes drift.

Keywords:

• Surface gravity waves
• surface Stokes drift
• Stokes transport
• mean wind speed
• long-term wind statistics