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Calculates wave steepness, an important safety metric. Steepness > 0.07 indicates breaking waves (dangerous).

Usage

calculate_wave_steepness(wave_height, wave_period)

Arguments

wave_height

Significant wave height in meters

wave_period

Wave period in seconds

Value

Wave steepness (dimensionless)

Details

Wave steepness = H / L where L = g * T^2 / (2 * pi) Simplified: steepness = H / (1.56 * T^2)

Examples

# 3m wave with 8 second period
steepness <- calculate_wave_steepness(3, 8)
# steepness = 0.03 (safe)

# 3m wave with 4 second period
steepness <- calculate_wave_steepness(3, 4)
# steepness = 0.12 (dangerous - breaking waves)