Spatial models for variability of significant wave height in world oceans

Abstract

Significant wave height (Hs) is a measure of the variability of the ocean surface. Benefits from knowing the spatial and temporal characteristics of this field are multiple: It is useful to size offshore structures, to foresee the fatigue of the ship's hull depending on its route and season, to compute probabilities of risks associated with marine operations. In this paper, we describe a method for modeling the Hs in space. The method is based on the Gaussian hypothesis for the logarithms of Hs and consists of estimating the mean and the covariance structure of log(Hs) using the information provided by the total variation. We then use the estimated parameters of every area in the world to construct maps of the median and the correlation structure. These maps are used to compute the probability of Hs exceeding a predefined level, and the distribution of the length of a storm. The data used are those of the TOPEX-Poseidon satellite. Copyright © by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers.