EM 1110-2-1100 (Part II)
(Change 1) 31 July 2003
Figure II-2-28. Values of Hmo/Hmo max plotted relative to center of hurricane (0,0)
offshore, degree of coastal sheltering, and various wave transformation factors. This means that measured
waves in nearshore areas represent site-specific data. Also, even though measurements in U.S. waters have
proliferated, they still do not offer comprehensive coverage. Because of these inherent difficulties in using
measurements for a national climatology, hindcast information is used in this section to describe a general
coastal wave climate. This is not meant to be interpreted that such models produce information that is as
accurate as wave gauges or in any other way superior to wave measurements; but merely that they represent
a consistent, comprehensive database for examining regional variations. In the near future, data assimilation
methods will combine measurements and hindcasts into a unified database.
(2) In this section, typical wave conditions and storm waves for each of four general coastal areas will
be described, along with some of the important meteorological systems that produce these waves. The areas
covered here include all coastal areas within the United States, except for Alaska and Hawaii. The
wave information presented in Tables II-2-3 through II-2-6 is based on numerical hindcast data provided by
CERC's Wave Information Study (WIS). WIS is a multi-year study to develop wave climates for U.S. coastal
regions. This information is not yet available for Alaskan and Hawaiian coastal areas; thus, these areas are
Meteorology and Wave Climate
II-2-51
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