Measuring the ocean wave directional spectrum ‘First Five’ with HF radar

Abstract

An ability to reliably measure the first five Fourier coefficients of the directional distribution of ocean wave energy is becoming an international requirement for any directional wave measurement device. HF radar systems are now commonly used for surface current measurement in the coastal ocean but robust wave measurements are more difficult to achieve. A number of HF radar deployments have demonstrated an ability to measure the directional spectrum, and in this paper, an evaluation of the Fourier coefficients derived from these spectra is presented. It is shown that, when data quality is good, good quality spectra and Fourier coefficients result. Recommendations for addressing some of the radar data quality issues that do arise are presented.