eO-84 PICR DO 

 80-B* PtER SORT 

 aO-84 BOCH 



Figure 30. Mean surface currents, 1980-1984 

 Tides and Water Levels 



85. Water level variations caused by astronomical and meteorological 

 forces are discussed in this section. Results for 1984 are followed by a com- 

 parison with previous data. All tidal heights are referenced to NGVD unless 

 otherwise stated. 



Present data year 



86. Tide height statistics for 1984 are presented in Table 9. Tides at 

 the FRF are semidiurnal with both daily high and low tides approximately 

 equal. The annual mean range was 97 cm while msl was 16 cm above NGVD. The 

 highest water level, 147 cm, for the year was measured on 14 October during 

 the passage of Hurricane Josephine when waves in excess of 3.2 m were measured 

 at the seaward end of the pier (Part VI). This extreme was within a few 

 centimetres of the highest water level measured since 1978. 



1984 versus past years 



87. Although the 1984 msl was 5 cm above the annual average for 1979 

 through 1983, it was lower than the 1983 mean of 19 cm (Table 9 and Fig- 

 ure 31). In Figure 32 the distribution of daily high, daily low, and hourly 



58 



