Wave-current interactions: experiment and modelling

This research is a thorough investigation of the interactions between wind-generated ocean waves with currents. The physical aspects are analysed and discussed in laboratory and field conditions. The performance of widely used wave forecast models are tested in various situations, from local scales of tidal inlets to the large ocean basin of the Southern Ocean. The wave models are validated and their limitations identified. The main limitation found is concerned with the dissipation of wave energy in strong opposing currents. A new term is proposed to improve the simulation of the wave characteristics, such as wave height and period.