OC4610 Wave and Surf Forecasting Lab 1 For Hurricane Floyd

Hurricane Floyd had a wind speed maximum around noon on Sep 13, but both buoys measured significant wave heights increase only on Sep 16 even though wind speeds continuously decreased in the days following the maximum. The reason for that difference is due to the primary factors that determine wave development. Wind speed is important, but also duration and fetch. Those two are key factors in this case. Therefore, even wind speeds at hurricane level can generate increasing wave heights only after blowing for some time (duration) and over some distance (fetch). The wave trains that reached the buoys were the swell propagating away from the
Note: The tick of each day represents 12am of that day.

generation area. The waves generated by Floyd on the way to the buoys position added to the swell and led to the maximum that day. Once the faster swell was gone and the hurricane headed Northeast past the buoys, wave heights started to decrease. Wave heights measured by the offshore buoy peaked higher than by the close to shore buoy. The presence of the coastline creates a restricted fetch scenario to both buoys. The offshore buoy is allowed more fetch since it is further away from coast. Hence, the wave height curve peaks higher in the off shore buoy. For Hurricane Irene

In this case, maximum wind speed and maximum significant wave heights occurrences were separated by a few hours only. Winds generated by hurricane Irene reached a maximum a few hours before wave heights were measured. Wind speed, duration and fetch were combined to produce this result. First, the winds speeds maximum caused the maximum wave heights near the position of the buoys. Second, the hurricane followed a nearly straight path towards the buoys. It allowed winds blowing to that direction to persist what is called duration. Finally, winds blew nearly parallel to coastline. This was an unlimited fetch scenario. In summary, all three primary factors that determine wave development were present at the same position. In addition, the wind speeds maximum happened a few hours before the wave heights maximum likely because of swells. They were generated by the hurricane on the way to the position of the buoys. Due to their larger wavelength, they travelled faster than waves generated by Irene at the position of the buoys. Therefore, they reached the buoys sooner than the hurricane. For Hurricane Ivan

During the time that hurricane Ivan was in the Gulf of Mexico, wind speeds and significant wave heights peaked nearly at the same time. This coincidence is due to the smaller area crossed by this hurricane when compared to the larger East Atlantic area crossed by Floyd and Irene. The fetch was very reduced as well as the amount of time during which winds blew in the same direction. With less fetch and duration, wind speeds were the key primary factor to determine wave development. For this reason, nearly no swells were generated, so they didnt reach the position of the buoys sooner than the hurricane, and wave heights were mainly determined by wind speeds at the position of the buoys.