Data Base of Maximum Sea States During Hurricanes

Abstract

A simple method is developed for calculating a data base of maximum sea states at a given location in deep water under hurricane conditions. The long‐term statistics of maximum sea states under hurricane conditions can then be estimated from this data base. The method is. based on (1) A parameterized time‐ and space‐dependent wind‐wave model that allows the evaluation of the sea state at a given, fixed location as a function of hurricane parameters (forward velocity, radius of maximum wind, central pressure deficit) and the location of the site relative to the storm track; and (2) the historical record of hurricane parameters for storms that have passed within 100 nautical mi of the selected site. The method differs from the past formulations of equivalent simplicity in two ways: (1) The inclusion of storm‐track distribution as a parameter affecting the sea‐state statistics; and (2) the choice of the wind‐wave model used in hindcasting the historical storms. The method is applied to a site in the Gulf of Mexico.