Analysis of Wave Energy Behavior and Its Underlying Reasons in the Gulf of Mexico Based on Computer Animation and Energy Events Concept

Abstract

The complexity and variability of ocean waves make wave energy harvesting very challenging. Previous research has indicated that wave energy was mainly generated and transferred by wind, but the detailed correlation between wind and wave energy has not been discovered. Wave energy in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has high variability with distinct seasonal behavior. However, the underlying reasons for this unique behavior have not been discussed and discovered yet. In this paper, a computer animation-based dynamic visualization method was created to conduct exploratory and explanatory analyses of 36 years of meteorological data in the GoM from the WaveWatch III system to identify preliminary patterns and underlying reasons for the unique behavior of wave energy in the GoM. These preliminary patterns and underlying reasons were further analyzed using Energy Events and Breaks concepts. During both high and low levels wave energy periods, the detailed correlation between wave energy and the wind was analyzed and determined. High level wave power in the GoM was mainly generated by the local inland wind from northern weather patterns, while low level wave power was mainly generated by swells from the Caribbean and the Atlantic oceans, which entered the GoM through the two narrow pathways, the Straits of Yucatan and the Florida Straits. The results from this paper will also be able to help the design, placement, and operation of future wave energy converters to improve their efficiency in harvesting wave energy in the GoM.