U.S. Wave Information Study

Wave Information Study (WIS) is historical digital dataset DSI-9787, archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The WIS project produces a high-quality online database of hindcast, nearshore wave conditions covering U.S. coasts. The major parameters used in creating the Army Wave Information Study (WIS) areas follows: Phase I (deep water wave data) - significant sea height, dominant sea period, sea direction, sea swell height, sea swell period, and sea swell direction. Phase I (wind-field data) - initial input wind direction and speed. Phase II (continental shelf zone wave data) - contains previous mentioned parameters. Phase III (near shore wave data) - 10 meter constant depth elements of sea wave and swell wave heights, periods and direction of movement relative to shoreline orientation. These wave parameters were the primary input used to create a wave climate study for the U.S. coastal waters. The WIS was initiated in late 1976 by the U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station (WES), Corps of Engineers. WIS was authorized by the Office, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, as part of the field data collection program managed by the U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Center. These data cover the period from 1956 through 1975. Areas of primary interest were the areas adjacent to the United States Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Coasts. Each coastal area will contain data in three different phases. Directions for wind, sea, and sea swell are the directions toward which waves or wind travel in degrees with "0" as East, "90" as North, "180" as West, and "270" as South. Caution should be used when converting WIS directional "toward which" values to meteorological "from which" directional values. Phase I - deep water wave data are derived from a spectral model, including air-sea interaction and wave-wave interactions. Phase I - wind field data were generated for a 31 by 31 spherical orthogonal grid which covers the North Atlantic Ocean. For each grid point a three hourly quasi-geostrophic wind speed and direction was constructed from pressure gradients in time and space, along with certain thermal characteristics of the planetary boundary layer. These surface winds were then feed into a numerical wave model to simulate wave generation propagation and decay. Phase I winds were later used to produce a finer surface wind grid for the Phase I, II, and III wave studies. Phase II - continental shelf zone wave data are derived from a spectral model, including air-sea interaction, refraction, diffraction, shoaling, and bottom friction. Phase III - near shore wave data (standard 10 meter depth) are transforming Phase II wave data to 10 mile coastal segments. Transformations consider all Phase II wave processes plus coastal orientation, tides and storm surges. Wave Information Study (WIS) differ from the U.S. Navy SOWM data files in that the extra tropical storms have been modeled in greater detail, the grid mesh is much finer, and coastal influences are considered. Hurricane data have not been modeled. Data were stored at 3 hour intervals. One station represents one data file. Data are in station (grid point) and time sort. These wave data stations represent specific grid points related to a spherical orthogonal grid. These data are the initial input used in creating the WIS data. Publications and digital data sets of the actual analysis of the wave information study resident at the U.S. Corps of Engineers are available to outside users by contacting the NCDC Customer Services. Additional documentation contains the latitude, longitude of each grid point for all the phases and are available when data are purchased from the NCDC.