Author(s): M. Alomar; R. Bolanos-Sanchez; A. Sanchez-Arcilla; A. Sairouni; F. J. Ocampo-Torres
Linked Author(s): Agustín Sánchez-Arcilla
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: In the north-eastern Spanish coast operational wave models are still inaccurate, in general under-predicting wave height during storm conditions. To address the observed inaccuracies a higher resolution spectral wave model has been implemented in the NW Mediterranean using higher resolution input winds during a particular fetch-limited wave growth event. The obtained wave predictions are significantly improved, although the spectral energy peak remains under-predicted and the peak frequency is over-predicted. To assess the importance of the wind input, the wave model has been forced using wind fields from different sources (observations, predictions and enhanced winds). Particular attention has been paid to the evolution of the integrated wave parameters along an instrumental transect set perpendicular to the coast. The results show that waves' growth along the fetch is slower than the observations, thus indicating that the mechanism of energy transfer from the wind towards the waves during fetch-limited growth conditions needs further review.
Year: 2009