BIVARIATE DISTRIBUTIONS WITH GIVEN MARINGALS WITH AN APPLICATION TO WAVE CLIMATE DESCRIPTION

The class of bivariate probability distributions with given (prespecif ied) marginals is studied, and a special member of this class, the Pla ckett model, is applied to represent the joint probability distributio n of significant wave height (H(S)) and mean zero-upcrossing period (T 02). The distinctive features of the bivariate Plackett model are: (i) it accepts any kind of univariate probability models as marginals, (i i) it can accurately model the degree of correlation between H(S) and T02, and (iii) it permits an easy and reliable estimation of parameter s. Applications of the Plackett model to the description of (H(S), T02 ) statistics for certain sea locations illustrate its overall performa nce and flexibility. The possibility of extending this approach to the multivariate case is discussed.