Applications of wavelet transforms in earthquake, wind and ocean engineering, Eng

The analysis, identification, characterization and simulation of random processes utilizing both the continuous and discrete wavelet transform is addressed. The wavelet transform is used to decompose random processes into localized orthogonal basis functions, providing a convenient format for the modeling, analysis, and simulation of non-stationary processes. The time and frequency analysis made possible by the wavelet transform provides insight into the character of transient signals through time-frequency maps of the time variant spectral decomposition that traditional approaches miss. In the relatively short life of the wavelet transform, it has found use in a wide variety of applications. This applications-orientated paper will briefly discuss the development of the continuous and discrete wavelet transform for digital signal analysis and present numerous examples where the authors have found wavelet analysis useful in their studies concerning the identification and characterization of transient random processes involvin