TRACKING WAVES
State-of-the-art wave monitoring system assists
hurricane preparedness, coastal restoration

LSU coastal studies expert Greg Stone is a much sought-after man. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana’s U.S. senators, the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard, news reporters from around the globe, oil companies, fisherman, and coastal residents have all come knocking at his door for the information he can provide.

As director of the Wave-Current-Surge Information System (WAVCIS) in LSU’s Coastal Studies Institute, Stone and his research team provide valuable wave and wind data about the Gulf Coast that enhances hurricane preparedness and rescue, aids in coastal restoration efforts, and assists with criminal investigations and military operations.

“No other state has the system that we have. When a hurricane approaches, we get real-time measurements on wave height, frequency, and speed, which aid in the evacuation timeline,” says Stone.

Indeed, the WAVCIS system is elaborate and expansive. There are thousands of oil and gas production platforms off the coast of Louisiana. Covered from top to bottom with instruments and sensors, some of these rigs serve as the hosts for the monitors that form the WAVCIS web. These instruments measure air temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction, tide, surge, and current speed. The highest wave recorded by their instruments is about 60 feet, but, as Stone points out, 60 feet above sea level isn’t necessarily the highest.

“We’ve recorded 60-foot waves, but we have found saltwater and seaweed on the platform structure as high as 130 feet above sea level,” says Stone.

Wave speed is also a critical factor that plays into evacuation. During Hurricane Katrina, the storm generated waves that moved faster than the eye. These waves produce noticeable changes in shallow coastal waters and can flood low-lying coastal, rural roads, which would indicate that an evacuation should be called much sooner for those areas.

On top of hurricane preparedness, Stone and his team are constantly perfecting their prediction models so that they can obtain a highly accurate, near perfect view of what lies in store for coastal areas when ravaged by storms. Stone works closely with the National Hurricane Center and NOAA to share data and produce the most accurate forecasts.

WAVCIS is also critical to coastal restoration efforts. Many efforts focus on dredging sediment from offshore areas and pumping the sediment into the wetlands or barrier island systems. To better assess the impact on the environment and marine life, Stone has received nearly $3 million from the U.S. Department of Interior and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources to further expand the WAVCIS network.

Many people and groups know WAVCIS is worth the investment. The system has allowed hurricane responders to save lives and oil spill clean-up crews to contain spills. FBI investigators have also used it to reconstruct a crime scene at sea, and Navy SEALs have used it to perform reconnaissance on water. There is no shortage of ways WAVCIS can be used, which will ensure its future as a tool for those charged with protecting Louisiana’s coast.

ON THE WEB:
LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences
LSU Coastal Studies Institute

from Fall 2006 Issue