Extremal Wave Statistics Using Three Hindcasts

Abstract

Three hindeast wave‐data sets for deep water off the central California coast region are compared using design wave‐height estimates. The three independent hindeast techniques compared are from the Army Corps of Engineer's Wave Information Studies (WIS), the Navy's spectral ocean wave model (SOWM), and the Pacific Weather Analysis (PWA) model. Sampling, plotting, and distribution fitting of the three data sets are treated such that all three wave‐height estimates may be compared equally. The three hindeast data sets are compared and evaluated using the 50‐ and 100‐year significant wave‐height estimates and the distribution and sampling parameters. The comparison reveals that SOWM appears to overestimate the extremal wave statistics. For the region under study, the WIS and PWA models predict similar 50‐ and 100‐year return‐period design wave heights.