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earth science

Metocean

Metocean is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Metocean rather than just read about it. In short: In offshore and coastal engineering, metocean refers to the syllabic abbreviation of meteorology and (physical) oceanography. Metocean study In various stages of an offshore or coastal engineering project a metocean study will be undertaken.

Metocean — main illustration
Metocean — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Metocean belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Metocean to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Metocean from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In offshore and coastal engineering, metocean refers to the syllabic abbreviation of meteorology and (physical) oceanography.

Metocean study In various stages of an offshore or coastal engineering project a metocean study will be undertaken. This, in order to estimate the environmental conditions of direct influence on the choices to be made during the project phase at hand, and to arrive at an effective and efficient solution for the problems/goals stated. In later phases of a project, more detailed and thorough metocean studies may be needed, depending on whether there is an expected additional gain with respect to the successful and efficient completion of the project.

Metocean conditions Metocean conditions refer to the combined wind, wave and climate (etc.) conditions as found on a certain location. They are most often presented as statistics, including seasonal variations, scatter tables, wind roses and probability of exceedance. The metocean conditions may include, depending on the project and its location, statistics on:

Meteorology

wind speed, direction, gustiness, wind rose and wind spectrum air temperature humidity occurrence and strength of typhoons, hurricanes and (other) cyclones

Physical oceanography water level fluctuations historical, expected and seasonal sea level changes storm surges tides tsunamis seiches wind waves – wind seas and swells – characterised by statistics like: significant wave heights and periods, propagation directions and (directional) spectra bathymetry salinity, temperature and other constituents stratification, density-driven currents and internal waves ice occurrence, extent, thickness, strength and seabed gouging

Metocean data

The metocean conditions are preferably based on metocean data, which can come from measuring instruments deployed in or near the project area, global (re-analysis) models and remote sensing (often by satellites). For estimating probabilities of exceedance – for relevant physical quantities – data of extreme events during more than one year is needed. By use of validated numerical models, the availability of metocean data can be extended. For instance, consider the case of a coastal location where no wave measurements are available. If there is long-term wave data available in a nearby offshore location (e.g. from satellites), a wind wave model can be employed to transform the offshore wave statistics to the nearshore location (provided the bathymetry is known). Often, long-term local measurements of wave conditions due to extreme events (e.g. hurricanes) are missing. By using estimates for the wind fields during past extreme events, the corresponding wave conditions can be computed through wave hindcasts.

Notes

References

Illustrations

Metocean: Deployment of a Datawell waverider buoy near the southwestern coast of France, for the measurement of ocean wave statistics, like the significant wave height and period, wave direction and power spectrum.
Deployment of a Datawell waverider buoy near the southwestern coast of France, for the measurement of ocean wave statistics, like the significant wave height and period, wave direction and power spectrum.
Metocean: Classification of wave phenomena – of the sea and ocean surface – according to wave period, by Walter Munk.[1]
Classification of wave phenomena – of the sea and ocean surface – according to wave period, by Walter Munk.[1]
Metocean: Ice beacon – for tracking the movement of the ice by GPS, as well as containing other sensors for measuring more metocean parameters – and Pablo Clemente-Colón of the U.S. National Ice Center.
Ice beacon – for tracking the movement of the ice by GPS, as well as containing other sensors for measuring more metocean parameters – and Pablo Clemente-Colón of the U.S. National Ice Center.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Metocean

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Metocean claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Metocean before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Metocean ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Metocean

In research
Metocean appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Metocean in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Metocean is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Climate and weather statistics, Coastal engineering, Offshore engineering, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Metocean outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Metocean in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Metocean means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Metocean out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Metocean in simple terms?

In offshore and coastal engineering, metocean refers to the syllabic abbreviation of meteorology and (physical) oceanography. Metocean study In various stages of an offshore or coastal engineering project a metocean study will be undertaken.

Why does Metocean matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Metocean?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Metocean.

Tags

  • Climate and weather statistics
  • Coastal engineering
  • Offshore engineering
  • Physical oceanography

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