Model and field experiments on a wave observation buoy

A large buoy has been developed to obtain the accurate sea data on ocean waves and the current for use in evaluating the accuracy of an ocean radar system. Displacement of the buoy is 70 t, it has a 9-m diameter, and it is now moored near the Okinawa Islands (southwestern Japan) in an area of the sea 1450 m deep. This area is world-famous because it suffers from many strong typhoons every year, and it is the best location to study waves. With this buoy system, waves are reproduced using the measured heave of the buoy and its response function obtained from theoretical calculations, and evaluation is made by model experiments in the wave tank. This report presents results of the theoretical calculations, model and field experiments and discusses their accuracies.