Abstract
Ocean waves at any particular location are the result of the
superposition of locally generated waves by wind, plus swells advected
from somewhere else. Swells in particular can travel very long distances
with marginal energy loss such that their signal, albeit reduced by
dispersion, can be detected all across the oceans. Although our current
approach for wave modeling and description has the wave spectrum as
standard variable, most wave characterization methods are based on
simplified integral parameters (e.g., Hs, Tm). These are indicative of
the overall magnitude, but loose all the information stored in the
spectral structure. Therefore, total wave fields derived from integral
parameters are smooth and continuous while in reality wave fields have
well defined spatial domains, they overlap one another, and they vary
significantly along the seasons in response to the ever changing
meteorological forcing. Using spectral partitioning techniques and the
global spectral wave climate atlas GLOSWAC, the main wave fields active
in the different ocean basins can be elucidated and separated from the
integrated one. As the memory of the sea surface (waves) is longer than
that of the atmosphere, these individual wave fields constitute a
valuable new source of environmental information, and its
characterization opens the way to more advanced wave analysis methods.