COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF JOINT DISTRIBUTIONS OF PRIMARY-WAVE CHARACTERISTICS

A comparative study of joint distributions of wave height and period a s well as wave height and steepness, is presented. The analysis includ es two theoretical joint distributions of wave height and wave period. These two distributions are transformed into joint distributions of w ave height and wave steepness. The theoretical distributions are compa red with measured data, as well as parametric models which are obtaine d by fitting to the data. The data used for comparison are relatively broad-banded and are obtained from measurements in deep waters on the Norwegian continental shelf: It is found that the theoretical distribu tions are inadequate to describe the joint distributions of the primar y wave characteristics of these broad-band data, and thus it is sugges ted to use parametric models to describe such data. Finally, the engin eering relevance of the joint distribution of wave height and wave ste epness is discussed.