The Puerto Rico High-Resolution Wave Climate Atlas
The Puerto Rico Wave Climate Atlas was funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (through the Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program) and with funds from The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust. Administrative, financial and technical support was also provided by UPR Sea Grant and CARICOOS. The Puerto Rico Wave Climate Atlas is a tool to analyze seasonal, interannual and long-term changes in Puerto Rico’s wave climate over the 40-year period from 1979-2019 using very high-resolution numerical simulations. These simulations have been validated with CARICOOS buoy data to ensure the atlas accurately captures PR’s wave climate. This atlas is meant to serve as a tool for scientists, planners, engineers and other professionals working in Puerto Rico’s coastal zone. For technical or data access questions please contact the Principal Investigator Miguel F Canals Silander via email: miguelf.canals@upr.edu.
Technical overview
This page includes a brief technical description of the model setup, mesh, resolution, and wave and wind boundary conditions.
model validation
To ensure the high fidelity of the simulations, the model has been validated using all buoy data during the CARICOOS era (2009 to present).
MODEL POINT OUTPUT
In this web interface, time series data and graphical products are provided at buoy locations and points along the 20-meter and 100-meter depth contours.
Extreme & INteresting events
Maps of wave transformation for extreme and rare events such as Hurricanes Matthew, Irma & María, Winter Storm Riley, the March 2008 “Holy Swell”, etc.
MAP PRODUCTS
This page includes maps of average and extreme parameters such as wave height, wave power, and other spatially-variable quantities.
implicationS for design & management
In this section the main results of the wave climate study are discussed within the context of coastal engineering design and coastal management.
