Wave climate of the Sydney region, an energetic and highly variable ocean wave regime

Abstract

Sydney is located in the south-west Pacific at 34°s and receives waves generated in the southern Coral and Tasman Seas. Waves are generated by five meteorological systems: tropical cyclones, east-coast cyclones, mid-latitude cyclones, zonal anticyclonic highs and local summer seabreezes. An examination of 20 years of Sydney wave data reveals that each source has a characteristic seasonality, location and spectrum, permitting the wave climate to be decomposed accordingly. Although at first glance the annual wave climate is both energetic and highly variable, a distinct seasonality is present, with the months of February-March and June experiencing the largest average monthly wave heights. Although moderate waves dominate the climate, extreme waves (>4 m) and/or low swell may occur in any month.