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Wave height
Difference between the elevations of a crest and a neighbouring trough / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In fluid dynamics, the wave height of a surface wave is the difference between the elevations of a crest and a neighboring trough.[1] Wave height is a term used by mariners, as well as in coastal, ocean and naval engineering.
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At sea, the term significant wave height is used as a means to introduce a well-defined and standardized statistic to denote the characteristic height of the random waves in a sea state, including wind sea and swell. It is defined in such a way that it more or less corresponds to what a mariner observes when estimating visually the average wave height.