Abstract

Over the years, scientists and engineers have been on a quest to find the answer to a seemingly basic question, how does wind generate waves.  There have been many theories and models developed to explain this phenomenon but the question still remains unanswered.  There is not a single theory that has been proven to be entirely correct, however, a majority of theories agree that wind causes small ripples on the water’s surface which grow into fully developed waves.  The research presented herein offers some insight as to how wind generated water waves are produced and grow.  There will be a brief discussion of the most widely accepted theoretical models that have developed as well as an experiment that tests the validity of these theories.  In the end, you should have a better idea of how wind generates water waves.