Abstract
It is common practice to consider the random waves as a succession of discrete waves characterized by individual amplitudes and periods. The zero-up-crossing criterion isolates some discrete waves that are not physical waves. The orbital criterion avoids these "false waves". As a result, the orbital criterion proves to be more consistent and robust, and to have a less variability. The selection of the discretization criterion results in some significant differences in the wave statistics, which are analyzed. As an example, while the mean period for the zero-up-crossing criterion is T^, the mean period for the orbital criterion is T01.
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