Table 4. Summary of mean and 99.5 percentile wind and wave data for the eastern Pacific. 

 (I knot^ 0.5 m/sec) 



(Data from the Naval Weather Service, Environmental Detachment, National Climatic Center, 



Asheville, NC) 



NOTES 



1 . Values of the mean and 99.5 percentile of wind speed (knots) and wave height (meters) are 

 presented for all months. Wave height is the greater of sea and swell when both are reported. Otherwise it 

 is the reported value of sea or swell. A distribution of the annual percent frequency of wave period (sec- 

 onds) by specified groups is also provided. 



2. Observations in TDF-1 1 are primarily from ships-in-passage. These ships tend to avoid areas of 

 known "heavy weather" (i.e., strong winds and high seas). Radio communications and optimum track ship 

 routing have produced a "fair weather bias" (i.e., a decrease in the frequency of heavy weather observa- 

 tions) in this data file. 



Area 1;15-20°N, 145-1 55°W . 



JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 



mean wind speed (kts) 



13 



14 



14 



13 



13 



13 



14 



14 



13 



12 



14 



15 



99.5 percentile 



35 



35 



31 



31 



28 



27 



27 



28 



26 



29 



35 



35 



Wind speeds of 34 knots 



























were in the 99.9 percentile. 



























mean wave height (m) 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1 



1 



1 



1 



1 



1.5 



1.5 



99.5 percentile 



7.5 



6 



5.5 



4.5 



4.5 



4 



4 



3.5 



3.5 



4.5 



5.5 



6.5 



Wave period distribution (annual): 



(<6 sec) 42%, (6-7 sec) 30%, (8-9 sec) 15%, (10- 11 sec) 6% 



Area2;3-13°N, 120-140°W. 





JAN 



FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 



JUL 



AUG 



SEP 



OCT 



NOV 



DEC 



mean wind speed (kts) 



12 



12 



11 



12 



10 



10 



10 



11 



11 



10 



11 



12 



99.5 percentile 



28 



29 



30 



30 



25 



24 



24 



25 



26 



25 



24 



27 



Wind speeds of 34 knots 



























were in the 99.9 percentile. 



























mean wave height (m) 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1 



1 



1 



1.5 



1.5 



1.5 



1 



1.5 



99.5 percentile 



4 



5 



5 



4 



4.5 



3.5 



3.5 



4 



4 



3.5 



3.5 



4 



Wave period distribution (annual): 



(<6 sec) 47%, (6-7 sec) 25%, (8-9 sec) 10%, (10-11 sec) 5% 



27 



