Stokes drift estimation based on long-term variation of wave conditions

Abstract

This article provides a simple analytical method which can be used to give estimates of the Stokes drift based on long-term variation of wave conditions. This is achieved by providing bivariate distributions of significant wave height with surface Stokes drift as well as with volume Stokes transport. These Stokes drift parameters are defined in terms of significant wave height and characteristic wave periods. This article presents the mean value and the standard deviation of these Stokes drift parameters, that is, more precisely the conditional expected values and the conditional variances for given significant wave height, as well as examples of results corresponding to typical field conditions. Based on, for example, global wave statistics, the present analytical results can be used to make estimates of the Stokes drift.