Shore Protection Manual

Some new results on statistical properties of wind waves

Changes in benthic fish assemblages as a consequence of coastal works in a coastal lagoon: The Mar Menor (Spain, Western Mediterranean).

Statistical Models for Ocean Waves and Wave Forces

Ten hours of wave data recorded from a fixed platform during hurricane Camille were analyzed to determine wave heights and periods. Wave conditions were severe with a maximum measured wave height of 23.6 m. The analysis results indicate that a Rayleigh distribution can be used to compute wave height relationships for large hurricane-generated waves.

Extreme wave conditions during Hurricane Camille

An investigation was made to test the hypothesis that the heights of ocean waves generated by a moving storm can be described by a Rayleigh distribution. Although chi-squared tests do not substantiate this hypothesis, the assumption of a Rayleigh distribution to describe wave heights yields results in several areas of practical importance that agree with measured data. The results are from studies of wave-height data measured in the Gulf of Mexico during two hurricanes and two tropical storms. The Rayleigh distribution appears to be justified for practical use by forecasters to calculate certain statistical parameters such as the ratio between the average of the highest 1/n waves (H\D1/n\N) or the highest wave in a group of N waves (H\Dmax\N) and the average wave height (H\Davg\N) or the root mean square wave height (H\Drms\N). This conclusion agrees with the results of other investigators who studied data gathered under different and, in general, less severe oceanographic conditions.

T. L. Russell

Papers

Investigation of the Statistics of Wave Heights