PMA 1970s wave buoys

A dataset of multiple simultaneous wave buoy observations collected in the 1970s, primarily for the use of the local Port Authority, has recently been released, and is available for research purposes. The measurements were conducted in Port Philip Bay (PPB), situated in the Australian state of Victoria. PPB is a semi-enclosed embayment with a continuous deepwater (>10m) fetch of around 40-50km, where the extreme wind climate is primarily driven by eastward moving frontal systems. The late 1960s and 1970s heralded the start of largescale offshore wave buoy deployments. For example, the JONSWAP experiment to measure spectral wave growth took place in the late 1960s and the New South Wales wave buoy network was installed in 1974 to monitor hazardous wave conditions. The data from these early field deployments are still relevant today given the significant expense in deploying buoys in remote conditions when compared to competing platforms (e.g. satellites) and inexpensive numerical modelling which can provide results at regional and global scales.