The limiting wave height in wind-induced wave trains

The vertical acceleration threshold concept has been applied to evaluate the limiting wave height in the train of wind-induced waves propagated over a horizontal bottom. This concept yields very simple computation of the probability of breaking for stochastic sea in deep and finite water depths. The computations confirmed the available field and laboratory observations that the limiting wave steepness in the deep water is lower than the steepness predicted by Stokes. For shallow water depth, the limiting wave height is smaller than 0.55h. This conclusion is consistent with field as well as wave tank observations.