Spectral and statistical characteristics of wind waves off Canary Islands

Abstract

Wave climate around Canary Islands is studied by means of statistical and spectral techniques. Maximum Entropy Method is used for obtaining the spectral density function. Autocorrelation function is calculated from wave records as an alternative source of information about the physical structure of wave fields. Wave-by-wave analysis was developed for both zero-up-crossings and crest-to-trough wave definitions. Then, the distribution of sea wave heights and the joint distribution of heights and periods were computed and compared with several theoretical models.