Field intercomparison of nearshore directional wave sensors

Five measurement strategies (four in situ, one remote) for estimating directional wave spectra were intercompared in a 1980 experiment at the Coastal Engineering Research Center's Field Research Facility in Duck, NC. The systems included two pressure sensor/biaxial current meter combinations (different manufacturers), a triaxial acoustic current meter, an SXY gauge (square array of four pressure sensors), and a shore-based imaging radar. A detailed error analysis suggests sources for differences in estimated wave spectra from the different instruments; in general, they intercompare favorably. The major deviation among in situ gauges was associated with the triaxial acoustic current meter. Reliance on a vertical velocity measurement (instead of a direct pressure or sea-surface elevation measurement) can contribute additional uncertainty in directional spectral estimates. The imaging radar was successful in distinguishing multiple wave trains at the same frequency, which was not possible with the simple spectral estimation analysis applied to in situ data. However, the radar is not useful in providing accurate estimates of spectral density, nor in distinguishing multiple wave trains of different frequencies coming from the same direction. Selection of a measurement strategy for a particular need depends on the precise data requirements for that application. Although the five tested intercompared well, in practice not all are equally suitable for every application.