Table 2.3. Annual sea state occurrences in the North Atlantic and North Pacific (Lee et aI.

, 1985)

North Atlantic North Pacific

Significant Sustained Modal wave period Modal wave period

wave height wind speed Percentage (s) Percentage (s)
Sea (m) (knotst probability probability
state of sea Most of sea Most
no. Range Mean Range Mean state Range b probable'" state Range" probablec

0-1 0-0.1 0.05 0-6 3 0.70 1.30

2 0.1-0.5 0.3 7-10 8.5 6.80 3.3-12.8 7.5 6.40 5.1-14.9 6.3
3 0.5-1.25 0.88 11-16 13.5 23.70 5.0-14.8 7.5 15.50 5.3-16.1 7.5
4 1.25-2.5 1.88 17-21 19 27.80 6.1-15.2 8.8 31.60 6.1-17.2 8.8
5 2.5-4 3.25 22-27 24.5 20.64 8.3-15.5 9.7 20.94 7.7-17.8 9.7
6 4-6 5 28-47 37.5 13.15 9.8-16.2 12.4 15.03 10.0-18.7 12.4
7 6-9 7.5 48-55 51.5 6.05 11.8-18.5 15.0 7.00 11.7-19.8 15.0
8 9-14 11.5 56-63 59.5 1.11 14.2-18.6 16.4 1.56 14.5-21.5 16.4
>8 >14 >14 >63 >63 0.05 18.0-23.7 20.0 0.07 16.4-22.5 20.0

a Ambient wind sustained at 19.5 m above surface to generate fully-developed seas. To convert to another

altitude, Hz, apply V 2= V[(H2/19.5)J .

b Minimum is 5 percentile and maximum is 95 percentile for periods given wave height range.

C Based on periods associated with central frequencies included in Hindcast Climatology .

,
Cumul;ative prob;ability - Weibull Sc;ale

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