Bivariate distributions with given marginals with an application to wave climate description

The class of bivariate probability distributions with given (prespecified) marginals is studied, and a special member of this class, the Plackett model, is applied to represent the joint probability distribution of significant wave height ( H s) and mean zero-upcrossing period ( T 02). The distinctive features of the bivariate Plackett model are: (i) it accepts any kind of univariate probability models as marginals, (ii) it can accurately model the degree of correlation between H s and T 02, and (iii) it permits an easy and reliable estimation of parameters. Applications of the Plackett model to the description of ( H s, T 02) statistics for certain sea locations illustrate its overall performance and flexibility. The possibility of extending this approach to the multivariate case is discussed.