Characteristics of Waves off Goa, West Coast of India

Abstract

Directional wave measurements were carried out using Datawell directional waverider buoy off Goa along west coast of India during the south west monsoon period in 1996 and the results are presented. Theoretical joint distribution of wave height and period was compared with that of observed. The maximum wave height was found to be 1.6 times the significant wave height with wave heights following the Rayleigh distribution. The highest waves were found to occur with intermediate periods. The measured significant wave heights show that the contribution from the swells were predominant than from the seas and the swell direction was from 230^o to 270°. The unidirectional spectrum showed that it can be satisfactorily represented by Scott and Scott-Wiegel spectra for this location with an average correlation coefficient of 0.9 with better representation of peak by Scott-Wiegel spectra.