| Tweet |
Custom Search
|
|
|
||
 Solana Beach Coastal Preservation Association
August 20, 1998
Project No. 1831
Page 15
It is of interest to note that extreme deep-water wave episodes exceeding 6 meters
were only reported on eight occasions during the period 1900 to 1979, while the
period from February 1980 through February 1984 experienced a total of ten storm
events with deep-water waves exceeding 6 meters. Further, the storm of January
17-18, 1988, produced the highest measured deep-water waves approaching the
southern California coast. The significant wave height was 10.0 meters (Seymour,
1989), higher than any reported in the 1900-1984 database. This storm was likely
on the order of a 200-year storm, and was reported by Seymour to be
A. . . remarkably similar to Richard Henry Dana=s observations in Two Years Before
the Mast of the dangerous Southeasters [significant storm arriving from the south]
off this same coast during the 1830=s.@
A statistical evaluation of extreme wave data is also available from various sources,
including Marine Advisors (1960), Meteorology International, Inc. (1977), Pacific
Weather Analysis (1983, 1987), Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center (1987),
Waterways Experiment Station (1987), and Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(USCOE , 1989). Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) maintains and
operates a network of wave gauges and buoys installed by the Corps of Engineers
and the State of California Department of Boating and Waterways, with their data
set commencing in early 1975. The SIO wave data measures, wave height, period
and direction, and were used to develop a statistical analysis for estimating the 5-,
10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year reoccurrence interval wave heights for a variety of
stations including Del Mar (the closest station to the study area). The following
table lists the significant wave height for the various frequency extreme storm events
at Del Mar, located in 35 feet of water (USCOE, 1991).
Return Period
Significant
Years
Wave Height (ft)
5
13.0
10
14.5
25
16.5
50
18.0
100
19.4
|
 
|
|
|
||
