The power spectrum analysis of ocean‐wave records

Abstract

Techniques of power spectrum analysis developed by Tukey and Hamming for the analysis of noise in electronic circuits are applied to ocean‐wave records The power spectrum of a sea‐surface record is computed directly from the power spectrum of a pressure record. Statistical properties of the wave records are deduced and verified within the limitations of a linearized theory. The implications of the results with respect to the problem of wave forecasting and wave refraction are discussed. The relationship between the non‐normalized autocorrelation function and the power spectrum is given, and the results of Deacon and Seiwell are interpreted in connection with the results of the analysis.