A model for nonlinear wave interactions

Phenomena associated with weakly nonlinear waves are encountered in optics, plasma physics, and geophysics. Specific applications in oceanography include ocean surface waves, internal gravity waves, Rossby waves, and interactions between these wave systems. Techniques for studying these phenomena include direct numerical integration, Boltzmann-like transport equations, and Langevin transient response functions. A simple model, called thetest wave model, is described and used to illustrate comparison of these methods.