Forecasting Hawaiian Swell from January 2 to 5, 1947 1

Abstract

The adequacy of existing forecasting techniques is demonstrated for a situation involving extreme wave conditions on the northern shores of the Hawaiian Islands. Computations of wave characteristics as made from Sverdrup and Munk's revised relationships show that this unusually high swell could be forecast more than 24 hours in advance. Travel time is computed on the basis of the group velocity at the end of the decay distance. The situation affords a particularly good check on computed travel time since the time of maximum wave height is observed at both the Hawaiian and Palmyra Islands.