A thorough understanding of the interaction of waves and currents with offshore structures has now become a vital factor in the safe and economical design of various offshore technologies. There has been a significant increase in the research efforts to meet this need. Although considerable progress has been made in the offshore industry and in the understanding of the interaction of waves, currents, and wind with ocean structures, most of the available books concentrate only on practical applications without a grounding in the physics. This text strives to integrate an understanding of the physics of ocean-structure interactions with numerous applications. This more complete understanding will allow the engineer and designer to solve problems heretofore not encountered, and to design new and innovative structures. The intent of this book is to serve the needs of future generations of engineers designing more sophisticated structures at ever increasing depths.

Dr. Turgut "Sarp" Sarpkaya is an internationally recognized authority in fluid mechanics research and was named by Cambridge University as one of the world's one thousand greatest scientists. "Sarp," as he is known to friends and colleagues, is the recipient of the Turning Goals into Reality Award by NASA, and he was selected Freeman Scholar by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Sarpkaya received his Ph.D. from The University of Iowa, followed by postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts institute of Technology. He was the Thomas L. Fawick Distinguished Professor at the University of Nebraska and taught at the University of Manchester. He was named Professor and Chairman of Mechanical Engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1967 and Distinguished Professor in 1975. His research over the past 50 years has covered the spectrum of hydrodynamics. His oscillating flow tunnel and the vortex-breakdown apparatus are two among several unique research facilities he has designed. Sarpkaya has published more than 200 papers and has explored for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) numerous classified projects dealing with the hydrodynamics and hydroacoustics of submarines. He served as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Fluids Engineering Division of ASME and the Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Institute. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Fellow of ASME, and Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.