Estimates of the Power Spectra for Fully Developed Seas for Wind Speeds of 20 to 40 Knots
Abstract
Various criteria pertaining to the synoptic situation are presented in order to determine when a fully developed wind-generated sea might be found in the North Atlantic Ocean. 460 wave records, corresponding to various synoptic situations, were digitized and spectrally analyzed as a first step in the preparation of a climatology of ocean wave spectra. The wave records were taken by the Ocean Weather Ships of the United Kingdom by means of a Tucker shipborne wave recorder. Selected subsets from the available spectra based on these synoptic criteria were averaged in order to produce spectra for various wind speeds. These selected subsets were tested to see if they came from the same population by means of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the results show that, within the accuracy to be expected because of inaccuracies in the winds, the samples chosen represent fully developed seas. A second subset chosen at random without using these criteria was tested and the results showed that wind speed alone does not properly characterize the sea state.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0421587
Entities
People
- Lionel Moskowitz
Organizations
- New York University