Directional ocean wave spectra using buoy azimuth, pitch, and roll derived from magnetic field components

Buoy azimuth, pitch, and roll, when used with measurements of buoy vertical acceleration, can provide directional wave spectra. Earlier work, which considered effects of buoy hull magnetism, showed that azimuth can be determined from magnetic field measurements (K.E. Steele and J.C. Lau, 1986). This work is extended to show that buoy pitch and roll, and thus buoy slopes, can also be determined from the same measurements. These slopes can be determined from measurements of the magnetic field components inside the hull along two orthogonal axes parallel to the deck of a buoy. Algorithms are developed for estimation of azimuth, pitch, and roll angles using these measurements. The algorithms account for residual and induced hull magnetism. Azimuth, pitch, roll, and estimates of directional wave spectra are determined both from the magnetic field measurements and from a conventional wave measurement system on the same buoy. Comparisons show that estimates of directional spectra based on magnetometer-derived pitch and roll agree well