Spectra of low frequency ocean waves along the Argentine shelf

Abstract

The low frequency spectra covering the ‘quiet’ range between the astronomically induced tides and the wind generated swell was obtained by an analysis of the records from three tide gauge stations along the broad Argentine shelf. The cross-spectral analyses suggest a peaked spectrum (perhaps associated with shelf-resonances) superimposed upon an independently generated spectrum which diminishes monotonically with increasing frequency. The absence of coherence between Quequen and Mar del Plata, separated by a distance of 67 nautical miles, suggests that the seiches at the two locations are not directly related in any simple way. The disturbances are not propagated as simple edge waves between the two areas.