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
161 of 164
Newest spectrum
42 min ago
Systems named
308
Swell · wind sea
209 · 99
Seas crossing
7 buoys
Storms, last month
216 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
Satan Shoal, FL 42095 · Gulf of Mexico · 1 h agoWind sea 6 s 32° moderate crests
Oceanside Offshore, CA 46224 · California · 1 h agoGroundswell 15 s 32° moderate crests
San Pedro South, CA 46253 · California · 1 h agoWind sea 10 s 32° moderate crests
Cape Cleare, AK 46076 · Alaska · 42 min agoWind sea 7 s 32° moderate crests
Western Hawaii 51003 · Hawaii · 42 min agoSwell 9 s 32° moderate crests
Frying Pan Shoals, NC 41013 · Eastern Seaboard South · 42 min agoSwell 4 s 33° moderate crests
West Tampa, FL 42036 · Gulf of Mexico · 1 h agoWind sea 5 s 33° moderate crests
Central Caribbean 42058 · Caribbean and tropical Atlantic · 42 min agoWind sea 7 s 33° moderate crests
Capistrano Beach Nearshore, CA 46285 · California · 1 h agoGroundswell 14 s 33° moderate crests
Ocean Station PAPA (166) 46246 · Pacific Northwest · 3 h agoWind sea 9 s 33° moderate crests
Portland, ME 44007 · Eastern Seaboard North · 42 min agoSwell 9 s 34° moderate crests
Shumagin Islands, AK 46075 · Alaska · 42 min agoSwell 6 s 34° moderate crests
Hilo, HI 51206 · Hawaii · 1 h agoWind sea 9 s 34° moderate crests
Pearl Harbor Entrance, HI (233) 51211 · Hawaii · 1 h agoWind sea 6 s 34° moderate crests
SE Hawaii - 200 NM SE of Hilo 51004 · Hawaii · 1 h agoSwell 8 s 34° moderate crests
Bethany Beach, DE 44084 · Eastern Seaboard North · 1 h agoSwell 10 s 35° moderate crests
Grand Island North, MI 45211 · Great Lakes · 1 h agoWind sea 3 s 35° moderate crests
Aransas Pass Channel Entrance, TX 42092 · Gulf of Mexico · 1 h agoWind sea 6 s 35° moderate crests
Galveston, TX 42035 · Gulf of Mexico · 42 min agoWind sea 6 s 35° moderate crests
Yucatan Basin, MX 42056 · Gulf of Mexico · 42 min agoWind sea 7 s 35° moderate crests