Bluegraph
SIMarineUS

Wave intelligence

The systems in the sea

A buoy's single wave height hides what the sea is made of: 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 taken apart into those systems, followed through time, and used to place the storms the swells came from and to flag seas that cross.

161 of 162 stations with directional spectra analysed from their latest spectrum and the four days before it.

Buoys where the two largest systems now meet at 40° or more with comparable energy, in seas of 1.5 m or more: steeper, less regular waves than the height alone suggests.

15 of 15 shown

StationCrossingSystems
SW Hawaii - 200 NM SW of Kona 51002 · Hawaii · spectrum 1 h ago180° apartthe smaller holds 37% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 2.1 m · 9 s · E building
  • Swell 1.3 m · 10 s · W
Georges Bank, MA 44011 · Eastern Seaboard North · spectrum 55 min ago135° apartthe smaller holds 89% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 1.4 m · 8 s · SSW
  • Swell 1.3 m · 9 s · ENE
San Pedro, CA 46222 · California · spectrum 45 min ago125° apartthe smaller holds 46% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 1.5 m · 7 s · W building
  • Groundswell 1.0 m · 13 s · SSE
Cape Suckling, AK 46082 · Alaska · spectrum 55 min ago115° apartthe smaller holds 94% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 1.6 m · 11 s · SSW fading
  • Wind sea 1.6 m · 6 s · E
Northern Hawaii One 51000 · Hawaii · spectrum 55 min ago115° apartthe smaller holds 42% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 2.2 m · 9 s · E
  • Swell 1.5 m · 12 s · NNW building
  • Groundswell 0.7 m · 14 s · ESE fading
Western Hawaii 51003 · Hawaii · spectrum 55 min ago95° apartthe smaller holds 32% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 3.1 m · 9 s · E fading
  • Swell 1.7 m · 8 s · SSW new
Waimea Bay, HI 51201 · Hawaii · spectrum 45 min ago85° apartthe smaller holds 46% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 1.3 m · 9 s · NE
  • Groundswell 0.9 m · 14 s · NW
Torrey Pines Outer, CA 46225 · California · spectrum 45 min ago70° apartthe smaller holds 42% of the larger's energy
  • Wind sea 1.3 m · 8 s · W building
  • Swell 0.9 m · 10 s · SSW
West Washington 46005 · Pacific Northwest · spectrum 55 min ago70° apartthe smaller holds 36% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 2.6 m · 11 s · WNW building
  • Wind sea 1.6 m · 7 s · SW new
Shumagin Islands, AK 46075 · Alaska · spectrum 55 min ago65° apartthe smaller holds 33% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 1.9 m · 8 s · W
  • Wind sea 1.1 m · 6 s · NNW new
W Gulf of Alaska 46001 · Alaska · spectrum 55 min ago65° apartthe smaller holds 46% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 2.1 m · 11 s · WSW building
  • Wind sea 1.4 m · 6 s · NW new
West California 46059 · California · spectrum 55 min ago60° apartthe smaller holds 85% of the larger's energy
  • Groundswell 1.7 m · 14 s · NW
  • Swell 1.6 m · 8 s · NNE
Neah Bay, WA 46087 · Pacific Northwest · spectrum 55 min ago50° apartthe smaller holds 64% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 1.4 m · 10 s · W building
  • Wind sea 1.1 m · 6 s · SW building
Albatross Bank, AK 46078 · Alaska · spectrum 55 min ago50° apartthe smaller holds 39% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 2.0 m · 10 s · WSW
  • Wind sea 1.3 m · 5 s · WNW fading
Eel River, CA 46022 · California · spectrum 1 h ago45° apartthe smaller holds 67% of the larger's energy
  • Swell 2.0 m · 8 s · NNW building
  • Swell 1.6 m · 12 s · WNW fading
  • Groundswell 1.0 m · 16 s · N new