Bluegraph
SIMarineUS

Wave intelligence

The systems in the sea

A buoy's significant wave height sums everything in the sea: long groundswell from a storm a thousand miles off, a closer swell, the chop of the local wind. Each buoy's measured directional spectrum is partitioned into those systems, which are followed through time, used to place the storms the swells came from, and checked for seas that cross.

Stations analysed
162 of 164
Newest spectrum
45 min ago
Systems named
331
Swell · wind sea
222 · 109
Seas crossing
5 buoys
Storms, last month
231 placed →
Window
The last 4 days
Method
Reference

Every buoy by how orderly its largest system is: a narrow directional spread means long crests, as in groundswell; a wide one, short, confused seas.

Each petal is a system, pointing to where it comes from, north up. Its length grows with height (the ring is 4 m); its width is the directional spread. Swell Wind sea Storm placed

StationLargest systemDirectional spread
Neah Bay, WA 46087 · Pacific Northwest · 45 min agoSwell 11 s 24° long crests
Cape Henry, VA 44099 · Eastern Seaboard North · 1 h agoWind sea 4 s 25° moderate crests
Topanga Nearshore 46268 · California · 1 h agoWind sea 3 s 25° moderate crests
Clatsop Spit, OR 46243 · Pacific Northwest · 1 h agoSwell 11 s 25° moderate crests
Grays Harbor, WA 46211 · Pacific Northwest · 1 h agoWind sea 10 s 25° moderate crests
Point Loma South, CA 46232 · California · 1 h agoGroundswell 14 s 26° moderate crests
San Pedro, CA 46222 · California · 1 h agoWind sea 10 s 26° moderate crests
Southeast Papa 46006 · California · 45 min agoSwell 9 s 26° moderate crests
Lower Cook Inlet, AK 46108 · Alaska · 1 h agoWind sea 6 s 26° moderate crests
McGulpin Point North, MI 45194 · Great Lakes · 1 h agoWind sea 4 s 27° moderate crests
Mid Superior 45001 · Great Lakes · 45 min agoSwell 5 s 27° moderate crests
Orange Beach, AL 42012 · Gulf of Mexico · 45 min agoWind sea 5 s 27° moderate crests
Yucatan Basin, MX 42056 · Gulf of Mexico · 45 min agoSwell 7 s 27° moderate crests
Harvest, CA (071) 46218 · California · 1 h agoSwell 11 s 27° moderate crests
West Orca Bay, AK 46060 · Alaska · 45 min agoWind sea 4 s 27° moderate crests
North Michigan 45002 · Great Lakes · 45 min agoWind sea 4 s 28° moderate crests
Duck FRF 26 m, NC 44100 · Eastern Seaboard South · 1 h agoSwell 12 s 28° moderate crests
Duck FRF, NC 44056 · Eastern Seaboard South · 1 h agoSwell 12 s 28° moderate crests
Aransas Pass Channel Entrance, TX 42092 · Gulf of Mexico · 1 h agoWind sea 7 s 28° moderate crests
Southwest Pass Entrance W, LA 42084 · Gulf of Mexico · 1 h agoWind sea 6 s 28° moderate crests