scholarly journals Quantifying wave measurement differences in historical and present wave buoy systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Edward Jensen ◽  
Val Swail ◽  
Richard Harry Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Complex Nature ◽  
Frequency Spectra ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Directional Sensors ◽  
Wave Measurement ◽  
Western Us ◽  
Directional Wave ◽  
Wind Sea ◽  
Wave Properties

AbstractAn intra-measurement evaluation was undertaken, deploying a NOMAD buoy equipped with three National Data Buoy Center and two Environment and Climate Change Canada-AXYS sensor/payload packages off Monterey, California; a Datawell Directional Waverider buoy was deployed within 19 km of the NOMAD site. The six independent wave measurement systems reported hourly estimates of the frequency spectra, and when applicable, the four Fourier directional components. The integral wave parameters showed general agreement among the five sensors compared to the neighboring Datawell Directional Waverider, with the Inclinometer and the Watchman performing similarly to the more sophisticated 3DMG, HIPPY, and Triaxys sensor packages. As the Hm0 increased, all but the Inclinometer were biased low; however, even the Watchman reported reasonable wave measurements up to about 6–7 m, after which the Hm0 becomes negatively biased up to about a meter, comparable to previous studies. The parabolic fit peak spectral wave period, Tpp, results showed a large scatter, resulting from the complex nature of multiple swell wave systems compounded by local wind-sea development, exacerbated by a variable that can be considered as temporally unstable. The three directional sensors demonstrated that NOMAD buoys are capable of measuring directional wave properties along the western US coast, with biases of about 6 to 9 deg, and rms errors of approximately 30 deg. Frequency spectral evaluations found similarities in the shape, but a significant under estimation in the high frequency range. The results from slope analyses also revealed a positive bias in the rear face of the spectra, and a lack of invariance in frequency as suggested by theory.

scholarly journals Spectral shapes and parameters from three different wave sensors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Karin Magnusson ◽  
Robert Jensen ◽  
Val Swail
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Spectra ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Climate Monitoring ◽  
Production Platform ◽  
Wave Sensors ◽  
Central North Sea ◽  
Wave Forecasting ◽  
Wave Properties

AbstractThe quality of wave measurements is of primary importance for the validation of wave forecasting models, satellite wave calibration and validation, wave physics, offshore operations and design and climate monitoring. Validation of global wave forecasts revealed significant regional differences, which were linked to the different wave buoy systems used by different countries. To fully understand the differences between the wave measurement systems, it is necessary to go beyond investigations of the integral wave parameters height, period and direction, into the frequency spectra and the four directional Fourier parameters that are used to estimate the directional distribution. We here analyse wave data measured from three different sensors (non-directional Datawell Waverider buoy, WaveRadar Rex, Optech laser) operating at the Ekofisk oil production platform located in the central North Sea over a period of several months, with significant wave height ranging from 1 to 10 m. In general, all three sensors provide similar measurements of the integral wave properties and frequency spectra, although there are some significant differences which could impact design and operations, forecast verification and climate monitoring. For example, the radar underestimates energy in frequency bands higher than 8 s by 3–5%, swell (12.5–16 s) by 5–13%, while the laser has 1–2% more energy than the Waverider in the most energetic bands. Lee effects of structures are also estimated. Lower energy at the frequency tail with the radar has an effect on wave periods (they are higher); wave steepness is seen to be reduced by 10% in the wind seas. Goda peakedness and the unidirectional Benjamin-Feir index are also examined for the three sensors.

Estimation of Wind-Sea and Swell Components in a Bimodal Sea State

2004 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Ewans ◽  
E. M. Bitner-Gregersen ◽  
C. Guedes Soares
Keyword(s):  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Wave Spectra ◽  
Spectral Parameters ◽  
High Frequency Peak ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Frequency Peak ◽  
Directional Wave ◽  
Wind Sea ◽  
Complete Frequency

Methods for separating the spectral components and describing bimodal wave spectra are evaluated with reference to wave spectra from directional wave measurements made at the Maui location off the west coast of New Zealand. Two methods involve partitioning bimodal wave spectra into wind-sea and swell components and then fitting a spectral function to each component, while the third assigns an average spectral shape based on the integrated spectral parameters. The partitioning methods involve separating the wave spectrum into two frequency bands: a low-frequency peak, the swell component, and a high-frequency peak, the wind-sea. One partitioning method uses only the frequency spectrum while the other analyzes the complete frequency-direction spectrum. Comparison of the spectral descriptions and derived parameters against the measured counterparts provides insight into the accuracy of the different approaches to describing actual bimodal sea states.

Analysis of WACSIS Data Using Directional HWM

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Shaosong Zhang ◽  
Zhongming Wang
Keyword(s):  
Wave Model ◽  
Ocean Waves ◽  
Wave Crest ◽  
Industrial Project ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Wave Directionality ◽  
Directional Wave ◽  
Particle Velocities ◽  
Wave Properties ◽  
Field Wave

WACSIS (Wave Crest Sensor Inter-comparison Study) is a Joint Industrial Project (JIP). Many different types of instruments were attached to a steel jacket platform that located in 18 m deep water and about 9 km from the Dutch coast to measure ocean waves during this project. The sensors for measuring wave elevation include Marex and SAAB Radars, a Baylor wave staff, an EMI Laser, a Vlissingen and Marine 300 step gauges. A S4ADW current meter was deployed at 10m below the MWL to measure pressure and particle velocities. In addition, a Directional Waverider Buoy was deployed nearby the platform to provide the information of wave directionality. The Directional Hybrid Wave Model (DHWM) was recently developed to deterministically decompose and predict a directional wave field. By the DHWM, the wave properties nearby the platform can be deterministically predicted based on at least three wave measurements. If the prediction location happens to be same as other instruments whose measurements have not been used for the prediction, then the comparison between the prediction and the measurement by this instrument may reveal the consistency and suitability of this instrument. Several such kind of comparisons are given in this study, indicating the DHWM is valuable to the analysis of field wave measurements.

scholarly journals Directional wave measurements using an autonomous vessel

2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 1087-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars R. Hole ◽  
Ilker Fer ◽  
David Peddie
Keyword(s):  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Directional Wave ◽  
Autonomous Vessel

scholarly journals Wave measurements with a modified HydroBall® buoy using different GNSS processing strategies

GEOMATICA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Benoit Crépeau Gendron ◽  
Mohamed Ali Chouaer ◽  
Rock Santerre ◽  
Mathieu Rondeau ◽  
Nicolas Seube
Keyword(s):  
Precise Point Positioning ◽  
Reference Station ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Wave Measurement ◽  
Processing Strategies ◽  
Wave Heights ◽  
Kinematic Ppp ◽  
Gnss Processing

One of the CIDCO’s (The Interdisciplinary Center for the Development of Ocean Mapping) HydroBall® GNSS buoys has been specifically adapted to evaluate its potential for wave measurement at centimeter accuracy level. Multiple GNSS processing strategies were tested, namely PPK (Post-Processed Kinematic), PPP (Precise Point Positioning), and TRP (Time Relative Positioning). Experiments were carried out in a hydraulic flume where waves of different amplitudes and periods were generated in a controlled environment. The wave heights obtained by the various GNSS solutions were compared with ultrasonic gauge measurements placed along the flume. The best results were obtained with the PPK and TRP solutions with root mean squared (RMS) values of 2 cm (on average). The main advantages of the TRP solution are that it does not require any reference station nearby (contrary to PPK) or precise ephemerides (required by PPP). A sinusoidal regression comparison of the wave height time series allowed determination of the wave period and amplitude with mean errors of 0.06 s and 0.8 cm, respectively.

scholarly journals Evolution of a Random Directional Wave and Freak Wave Occurrence

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuji Waseda ◽  
Takeshi Kinoshita ◽  
Hitoshi Tamura
Keyword(s):  
Wave Height ◽  
Wave Interaction ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
Frequency Bandwidth ◽  
Extreme Wave ◽  
Spectral Parameters ◽  
Freak Wave ◽  
Resonant Wave ◽  
Directional Wave ◽  
Wind Sea

Abstract The evolution of a random directional wave in deep water was studied in a laboratory wave tank (50 m long, 10 m wide, 5 m deep) utilizing a directional wave generator. A number of experiments were conducted, changing the various spectral parameters (wave steepness 0.05 < ɛ < 0.11, with directional spreading up to 36° and frequency bandwidth 0.2 < δk/k < 0.6). The wave evolution was studied by an array of wave wires distributed down the tank. As the spectral parameters were altered, the wave height statistics change. Without any wave directionality, the occurrence of waves exceeding twice the significant wave height (the freak wave) increases as the frequency bandwidth narrows and steepness increases, due to quasi-resonant wave–wave interaction. However, the probability of an extreme wave rapidly reduces as the directional bandwidth broadens. The effective Benjamin–Feir index (BFIeff) is introduced, extending the BFI (the relative magnitude of nonlinearity and dispersion) to incorporate the effect of directionality, and successfully parameterizes the observed occurrence of freak waves in the tank. Analysis of the high-resolution hindcast wave field of the northwest Pacific reveals that such a directionally confined wind sea with high extreme wave probability is rare and corresponds mostly to a swell–wind sea mixed condition. Therefore, extreme wave occurrence in the sea as a result of quasi-resonant wave–wave interaction is a rare event that occurs only when the wind sea directionality is extremely narrow.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document