Wave Climate Studies in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Comparisons of Visual Surf, SSMO, Hindcast, and Gage Data

In recent years, several types of wave climate studies have been conducted in the Gulf of Mexico. Comparisons of the various types of data and the geographic distribution of wave heights and directions across the northern Gulf of Mexico have not been previously made. Available wave statistics are reviewed in this paper to analyze sources of error, to examine regional variations in the Gulf of Mexico, and to assist in the selection of the preferable data type for application.