Measurements of Directional Sea Surface Waves near Sakhalin Island by Array of Bottom Stations

Field measurements of sea waves have been carried out off the coast of Sakhalin Island using an array of three bottom pressure sensors. The stability of statistical characteristics estimated by independent devices comprised in the array has been analyzed. The probability distribution of wave heights qualitatively corresponds to the Glukhovsky distribution but exhibits a lower probability of high wave occurrence. The spatiotemporal spectra of waves are reconstructed. It is shown that the angular distribution of the spectral density of waves over two days of measurements is well described by the theoretical cosine squared distribution, and its width varies in the range of 50°–90°. The dominant direction of wave propagation is from the northeast. An independent method is proposed for estimating the local water depth by data from the array.