Techniques Used to Determine Extreme Wave Heights from the NESS Data Set

The objective of the present paper is to explore the application of different extreme value procedures to a selected grid point in the NESS (North European Storm Study) data set. For the purpose of the present benchmark study, each of the participants was invited to submit estimates of a significant wave height with a high return period at a given grid point in the North Sea, together with a detailed description and a rationale of the approach used in deriving extreme wave heights. Submissions from five industry groups were received, compared, and benchmarked against one another. This analysis leads to a number of conclusions regarding the actual use and misuse of extreme value techniques in the fields of engineering and oceanography.