real normal

Jim Sanborn Coastline
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Headquarters, Silver Spring, MD

"The wave action demonstrated here is in "real time" which means that a NOAA monitoring station at Woods Hole, Massachusetts transfers instantaneous wave heights via modem to Silver Spring where they are transferred to the wave pool. The wave action is produced by a pneumatic pulse generated by a large blower and computer controlled valve located in the parking garage under the site. The actual waves vary in height from 6 to 24 inches. When they hit the coastline the waves create 12' high surf."