and 64 percent were from the south during the spring and summer, respectively 
(Figure 11). There was a stronger northerly tendency during storm conditions 
(i.e., 58 percent of the storm waves approached from the north). 
Present versus past years 
81. The wave climate during 1982 was similar to that in previous 
years. Annual wave height distributions for 1982 (gage 625) showed small dif- 
ferences in comparison to the distribution for the combined 1980 and 1981 data 
(Figure 15). With the exception of July to September (Figure 16), seasonal 
distributions were similar, also. The variation of mean monthly H, during 
1982 for gage 625 versus 1980 through 1981 was inconsistent (Table 10). Indi- 
vidual months differed as much as 37 percent as in June. For any given month, 
there were large variations, year to year, in the frequency of storm waves 
(Bao > 2m). However, seasonal frequencies were consistent. 
82. The distributions of wave periods for 1982 and prior years (Fig- 
ure 17) were similar, with the exception of more frequent long-period waves 
(12 to 17 sec) between October and December 1982, primarily due to two storms 
in October 1982. 
83. Unlike the similarity between 1982 and previous years for the wave 
height and period distributions, the distribution of wave direction for 1982 
showed that a larger percentage of waves approached from the south. The 
annual resultant wave direction was about shore-normal, 8 deg southward of the 
1980 plus 1981 resultant (Table 11). 
All years combined 
84. The 3-year data set between 1980 and 1982 provides the most reli- 
able description of the wave climate at the FRF. Spatial differences in wave 
height are shown in Figure 18. Note the effect of large waves breaking sea- 
ward of the gage 615 location. For gages 620 and 625, wave height distribu- 
tions are almost identical up to 2.5 m. Over 2.5 m, they differ by as much as 
17 percent (i.e., 0.5 percent of the wave heights at gage 620 exceeded 3.5 m, 
while the corresponding height was only 3.0 m at gage 625). In deeper water, 
wave heights in excess of 2 m can be expected to occur 600 hr per year (7 per- 
cent of the time), and wave heights in excess of 3 m can be expected to occur 
at gage 625 only about 44 hr per year. Seasonal height distributions indicate 
that the greatest frequency of high waves occurs between October and December, 
while the least severe season is April to June (not July to September, as 
during the very mild summer of 1982). 
47 
