1 Introduction 



In late December 1992, a high-resolution directional wave measuring system 

 became fully operational on Texaco Oil Company's Harvest Platform to make 

 long-term observations of the deep-ocean wind wave climate in the vicinity of the 

 Southern California Bight (Figure 1). Such observations are necessary to provide 



Figure 1 . Southern California Bight and location of Harvest Platform 



ground truth for interpreting satellite imagery of the ocean surface, test evolution 

 and propagation models of open-ocean wind waves, and establish seaward bound- 

 ary conditions for models of wave propagation and transformation from deep wa- 

 ter to coastal regions. The purpose of this report is to encourage broad use of 

 these observations by parametrically describing 2,320 wind wave frequency-direc- 

 tion spectral estimates obtained in calendar year 1994, and identifying a means 

 whereby an investigator can access these spectra. These results are from the sec- 

 ond year of collection. Results from the first year are described by Long (1995a). 



Chapter 1 Introduction 



