抄録
Systematic studies on ocean surface waves (wind waves) have been started in the 1940's, which is roughly one century later than the start of the studies on water waves. Since then rapid progress has been done in the studies of ocean surface waves; Now we can predict ocean waves in a global scale with practically sufficient accuracy. However, there still remains many fundamental problems in the dynamical process of ocean surface waves. Recent studies on the dynamics of ocean surface waves are reviewed. The major topics discussed in the present paper are initial generation of wind waves, energy transfer from the wind to wind waves, nonlinear energy transfer among spectral components of wind waves and energy dissipation due to wave breaking. These are fundamental components in the spectral energy-balance equation which is used for practical prediction of ocean surface waves.
