HURRICANE GENERATED WAVES AS OBSERVED BY SATELLITE

A data set consisting of observations of significant wave height and w ind speed within mature hurricanes has been obtained from the GEOSAT s atellite mission. Due to the global coverage of the satellite, this da ta set is extensive, consisting of 100 hurricanes; In addition, as the satellite rapidly propagates across the region influenced by the hurr icane wind field, an almost instantaneous cross-section through the hu rricane is observed. These features mean that the data set is signific antly more comprehensive than those previously presented. The observat ions confirm the importance of both the maximum wind speed within the hurricane and the velocity of forward movement in determining the magn itude and distribution of the significant wave height field. The data are presented in terms of a relatively simple parametric hurricane wav e model. This model represents both a compact description of the data and a tool for engineering design. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd