New parameterizations for the spectral dissipation of wind-generated waves are proposed. The rates of dissipation have no predetermined spectral shapes and are functions of the wave spectrum, in a way consistent with observation of wave breaking and swell dissipation properties. Namely, swell dissipation is nonlinear and proportional to the swell steepness, and wave breaking only affects spectral components such that the non-dimensional spectrum exceeds the threshold at which waves are observed to start breaking. An additional source of short wave dissipation due to long wave breaking is introduced, together with a reduction of wind-wave generation term for short waves, otherwise taken from Janssen (J. Phys. Oceanogr. 1991). These parameterizations are combined and calibrated with the Discrete Interaction Approximation of Hasselmann et al. (J. Phys. Oceangr. 1985) for the nonlinear interactions. Parameters are adjusted to reproduce observed shapes of directional wave spectra, and the variability of spectral moments with wind speed and wave height. The wave energy balance is verified in a wide range of conditions and scales, from the global ocean to coastal settings. Wave height, peak and mean periods, and spectral data are validated using in situ and remote sensing data. Some systematic defects are still present, but the parameterizations probably yield the most accurate overall estimate of wave parameters to date. Perspectives for further improvement are also given.

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International audienceOcean surface mixing and drift are influenced by the mixed layer depth, buoyancy fluxes and currents below the mixed layer. Drift and mixing are also functions of the surface Stokes drift Uss, volume Stokes transport TS, a wave breaking height scale Hswg, and the flux of energy from waves to ocean turbulence Φoc. Here we describe a global database of these parameters, estimated from a well-validated numerical wave model, that uses traditional forms of the wave generation and dissipation parameterizations, and covers the years 2003–2007. Compared to previous studies, the present work has the advantage of being consistent with the known physical processes that regulate the wave field and the air–sea fluxes, and also consistent with a very large number of in situ and satellite observations of wave parameters. Consequently, some of our estimates differ significantly from previous estimates. In particular, we find that the mean global integral of Φoc is 68 TW, and the yearly mean value of TS is typically 10–30% of the Ekman transport, except in well-defined regions where it can reach 60%. We also have refined our previous estimates of Uss by using a better treatment of the high frequency part of the wave spectrum. In the open ocean, Uss similar, equals 0.013U10, where U10 is the wind speed at 10 m height

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