Real-Time AWAC Data from Duck Field Research Facility

A significant challenge to numerical wave modeling is capturing the dynamics of wave transformation in coastal waters. To collect essential data sets and evaluate numerical wave model performance, the US Army Corps of Engineers developed a real-time cross-shore wave and current array across the energetic shelf environment in Duck, NC.  The array consists of four (4) AWAC wave and current profilers at 5- to 11-m depths, a pier-based meteorological station at 8-m depth, and two directional Waverider buoys at 17- and 26-m depths.  NDBC station 44014 adds winds and directional waves at 48-m depth.  With these sensors the array spans 95-km and captures all phases of wave transformation from the outer continental shelf to within the surf zone.  More information about, and results from, the Duck FRF cross-shore array is available here:
http://www.frf.usace.army.mil/morphos/imeds/xshore.shtml

Real-time AWAC data from the 8 m isobath is now being presented online here: http://www.frf.usace.army.mil/awac03/realtime.shtml

Real-time wave processing is done both by Nortek-supplied software and by XWaves software.  The XWaves software provides many insightful views of the wave and current data from the AWAC.

Contour plot of AWAC wave energy as function of frequency and direction (from XWaves software)

AWAC wave height and spectrograph plot from October 10-15, 2009 (from XWaves software)

Wave vector plot showing the wave direction and significant height of individual wave systems as they evolve through time (from XWaves software)

To learn about the XWaves software visit WaveForce Technologies.