NONSTATIONARY ANALYSIS OF THE DIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES OF PROPAGATING WAVES

It is proposed that the sea surface be studied in a way that takes int o account the observed groupiness of wind-generated waves. A new metho d of analysis to study the directional properties of the surface is de veloped. It is demonstrated that this method, based on wavelet transfo rms, allows the instantaneous wave propagation directions at various f requencies to be estimated. Furthermore, the approach is shown to yiel d wavenumber spectra directly-a result of particular importance to suc h pursuits as remote sensing, gas transfer, and air-sea coupling.