Validation of spectral wave model predictions using satellite altimeter data

Author

Johnson, Andrew, Jr. ; Farrar, Paul D. ; Nghiem, John

Author_Institution

Naval Ocean Res. & Dev. Activity, Stennis Space Center, MS, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1995

fDate

9-12 Oct 1995

Firstpage

1274

Abstract

Operational forecasts of significant wave height and period produced by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) were compared to wave height measurements obtained by the Topography Experiment (TOPEX) altimeter data. Comparisons were made between the satellite measurements and the forecast wave heights for forecast periods of 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. The Spectral Wave Prediction System (SWAPS) operated by NAVOCEANO consists of a coupled system which includes a third-generation spectral wave model (WAM), shallow-water wave transformation models, and a harbor response model. This paper evaluates the forecast performance of only the WAM component of SWAPS implemented at a resolution of 28 km. The areas evaluated include the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf. The overall performance of the model is shown to be satisfactory for Navy operations

Keywords

ocean waves; oceanographic techniques; weather forecasting; Arabian Gulf; Mediterranean Sea; NAVOCEANO; Naval Oceanographic Office; Red Sea; SWAPS; Spectral Wave Prediction System; TOPEX; WAM; harbor response model; ocean wave; operational forecast; opography Experiment; performance; radar remote sensing observations; satellite radar; sea surface roughness; shallow-water wave transformation model; significant wave height; spectral wave model prediction; third-generation spectral wave model; validation; wave period; weather forecasting; Area measurement; Boundary conditions; Diffraction; Graphics; Layout; Predictive models; Quality control; Satellites; Sea measurements; Statistical analysis;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

OCEANS '95. MTS/IEEE. Challenges of Our Changing Global Environment. Conference Proceedings.

Conference_Location

San Diego, CA

Print_ISBN

0-933957-14-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/OCEANS.1995.528604

Filename

528604