CDIP observations of recent extreme wave conditions on U.S. coasts

Abstract

The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) maintains wave gauge stations for continuous coverage, with precision instruments and dedicated telemetry and dissemination infrastructure. Decades of this persistent, quality-controlled wave monitoring effort has provided the data required to generate metrics for wave climate at coastal locations across the United States and identify and characterize extreme wave events. During the extremely active 2020 North Atlantic hurricane season, the CDIP East Coast array recorded significantly elevated wave conditions generated by no fewer than 15 named storms. In California, meanwhile, long-term monitoring stations have measured new all-time maximum wave heights during recent storm events. Complete quality-controlled directional spectra and displacement data sets, as well as sea surface temperature and surface current data from the wave buoys, are publicly available at http://cdip.ucsd.edu.