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Introduction to CDIPCDIP is operated by the Ocean Engineering Research Group (OERG), part of the Integrative Oceanography Division (IOD) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). History and Funding
Under the management of David Castel, and more recently Julie Thomas, the CDIP network has grown steadily over the years. It has deployed and maintained wave gauging stations at well over 100 locations. The vast majority of these stations have been along the Pacific coast of the US, while others have been situated on the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes, off of the islands of Hawaii and Guam. At some locations, the wave data has been complemented by the collection of other climatological measures - temperature, winds, air pressure. In all respects - from sensor reliability to the speed of data distribution - CDIP has advanced significantly from its beginnings. In the early years, most of the wave data were collected close to shore using underwater pressure sensors. This information was transferred back to SIO over standard phone lines and stored for analysis. The results of these analyses were distributed to coastal engineers and others in the oceanographic community via monthly and annual reports. Not long after its inception - in 1977 - CDIP began to collect directional wave data using arrays of underwater pressure sensors. Then, in 1978, non-directional buoys came into use, allowing data collection from locations further offshore. In the 1980s, use of all these instruments was expanded to many new locations. It was in the 1990s, however, that CDIP's operations underwent a wide range of changes. In the 1990s CDIP first began to use directional buoys. These buoys, which measure sea surface temperature and wave direction in addition to wave energy, have become CDIP's primary instrument. By the late 1990s, the frequency of data acquisition for each station increased to the point that full coverage was achieved. Instead of several samples of data per day, CDIP began collecting every single second of data recorded by a sensor. Even more momentously, in 1996 the program started to make its data available in real-time over the internet, including the highly popular swell models. Today, all of CDIP's data and products are available on the web as soon as they are created. Since 2000, the group's operations have continued to expand and progress. Data are now being collected from both the eastern and southern hemispheres (Guam and Brazil), and data are increasingly collected directly over the internet, instead of via phone lines. In the years to come, CDIP will continue to strive to provide the most complete, accurate, and timely collection of wave and climatological data possible. Program GoalsCDIP was established largely in response to a call for the development of a nearshore wave climatology for the United States which would allow coastal engineers and planners to make more rational design decisions. This focus was intensified with the addition of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a program sponsor. As the steward of the nation's coastal infrastructure, the USACE requires reliable, long-term wave measurements for use in planning, designing, and operating coastal projects. Fulfilling this need remains a central aim of CDIP to this day, one that the group takes very seriously. Waves are a critical factor in all shore processes, playing a central role in everything from stresses on coastal structures to sand transport and beach formation.Wave data is also used in other research contexts, and CDIP strives to provide data suitable for these areas of study as well. For instance, laboratory and analytical research into the physics of wave generation, propagation, and transformation requires field measurements for calibration and verification. Similarly, studies of extreme events - where coastal structures may be damaged, or nearshore activities disrupted - rely heavily on accurate wave data sets. CDIP's goals are not, however, limited to supplying the research community with data. Another central focus of the group's work is providing realtime wave data to a variety of users. Through the CDIP website and in cooperation with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Data Buoy Center, the program's latest measurements are distributed to thousands of users each and every hour. These users are both professional - harbor masters, lifeguards, mariners, etc. - and recreational - boaters, surfers and beach-goers. Through the widespread distribution of this information, CDIP aims to promote public safety and the responsible use and enjoyment of our coastal resources. Back to top |
