Significant wave height

The significant wave height (symbol ) describes in coastal engineering and marine sciences a certain wave height, which is used for questions of design of coastal protection structures and bank stabilization.

Statistically defined is the significant wave height than the arithmetic mean of the highest third of wave heights of observation. As symbols, therefore, is also common. Assuming a Rayleigh distributed swell this wave height is exceeded by 13.5 % of all waves.

The original definition was set out by Walter Munk in 1944 and put the wave height based on the 'd estimate a " skilled observer " as the authoritative wave height.