OCEAN-WAVE RECORD ANALYSIS - ORDINATE DISTRIBUTION AND WAVE HEIGHTS
Abstract
Experimental results were used to relate the ordinate and wave- wise approaches to the analysis of ocean-wave records for general wave height on the basis of a narrow-spectrum theory. The theory assumed that the ocean-wave history is a Gaussian random process and that the time history and envelope follow a Rayleigh distribution. Rayleigh- and y-type distributions of measured wave heights were compared; the agreement between the envelope and estimated wave heights indicated that the wave records studied are characterized by relatively narrow bands. The ordinate distributions on the pressure wave-record were closely related to the pressure wave-height distributions. Empirical ordinate distribution functions were graped for 21 records from the Mark III pressure meter. The approximately straight-line curves obtained in each were attributed to a Gaussian pressure-record-ordinate distribution. Graphs were obtained by direct computation and by graphical estimation for ocean mean-wave height vs ordinate dispersion; 1- and 2- counter estimates were also made of the wave-ordinate dispersion vs the directly computed dispersion. The data indicated that: (1) a knowledge of the measured-ordinate rms value is equivalent to a knowledge of the measured mean height within 5% more than two-thirds of the time; and (2) a satisfactory estimate of the rms value of a wave is achieved with only 1 or 2 ordinate counters.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1953
- Accession Number
- AD0013196
Entities
People
- R. R. Putz
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley