Wave heights

Wave heights forecasting are very important for a number of applications, including navigation and fishing, but also operations on platforms, etc. Those forecasts ar based on measurements.
 

wave heights for ww for the zone. The zones in ww correspond to places where the waves are higher. they decrease towards zz (CLS-CNES/EU Copernicus Marine Service - Figure Argonautica)

Orders of magnitude

The higher wave height ever measured by a satellite was about 20 m. Outside extreme events, wave heights are about 3 m, 6 at the most. They are always greater or equal to zero.

Measurement techniques

Satellite measurements

• " Altimeters
• Dedicated satellites, working like altimeters but using beams with angles now exists: CFOSat

Models

The marine weather models simulate the wave heights (they are different from the ones forecastin currents, temperature and salinity)