sheltering coefficient

From Glossary of Meteorology
The constant of proportionality in Jeffreys's expression for the work done by the wind on the sea surface.

It was assumed by Jeffreys that this work is proportional to the product of the density of air, the slope of the water surface, and the square of the wind velocity relative to the wave. Although the value of the sheltering coefficient (0.27) found by Jeffreys gives a satisfactory explanation of the initial formation of wind waves, observations of the increase of wind waves shows that this value is about ten times too high for the subsequent transfer of energy from wind to waves.

Copyright 2024 American Meteorological Society (AMS). For permission to reuse any portion of this work, please contact permissions@ametsoc.org. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 107) or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S.Copyright Act (17 USC § 108) does not require AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, require written permission or a license from AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement.