Characterizing Rogue Waves at the Entrance of Tampa Bay (Florida, USA)

Abstract

Rogue waves are a recognized but not fully comprehended hazard of major concern to the maritime industry. There is not one agreed-upon unified model that explains the formation of such waves and little is known about their frequency of occurrence. This study used in situ data from a wave buoy located at the entrance of Tampa Bay, Florida, to assess conditions that could lead to the development of these potentially destructive waves. Tampa Bay is a major commercial and transportation hub on the east coast of the United States. Wave buoy data from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed in this study. While more than 7000 individual waves that significantly exceeded median values were recorded, only 32 exceeded 4 m, thereby imposing risks to local navigation. The largest rogue wave that was recorded was 8.46 m high. Parameters in the time and frequency domains were calculated, local wind and surface current data were correlated, satellite synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and vessel traffic data were analyzed, and the local bathymetry was considered. Based on our results, the narrow directional wave spreading that was found on the selected rogue waves was recognized as an important indicator of extreme waves. The parameters: surface elevation kurtosis, Benjamin–Feir Index (BFI), wave steepness, broadness, and narrowness factors, wind speed and direction, can be considered together, as a part of a local extreme-wave warning package. The selected individual rogue waves could not be identified using SAR imagery. Regional disturbances from ship wakes were analyzed but yielded no connections to the local formation of rogue waves.