Comparing wave heights simulated in the Black Sea by the SWAN model with satellite data and direct wave measurements

Abstract

The results of wave simulation in the Black Sea using the SWAN spectral wave model and wind forcing data from the NCEP/CFSR reanalyze are presented in this paper. The calculations were done using the special unstructured mesh with spatial resolution of 10 km in the open sea and 200 m in the Tsemes Bay. The assessment of the wave simulation accuracy was performed on the basis of the satellite altimetry data and direct wave measurements in the shallow water. When comparing the calculated significant wave height with observational data the correlation equaled 0.8, while the root mean square error equaled 0.3. The comparison of simulation results and satellite data also showed good correlation. KEYWORDS: Black Sea; Tsemes Bay; wind waves; wave modeling; SWAN; unstructured mesh; satellite altimetry.

System of the Wind Wave Operational Forecast by the Black Sea Marine Forecast Center

“…In other works, the correlation between calculation data and remote measurements is weaker. The standard deviation SD takes values less than those calculated on the basis of data on the values of the mean and root mean square deviations given in [4][5][6][7][8]. Value of the mean error ME, obtained in the present study, turns out to be quite large.…”

“…Correspondence of colors to the quantity of the pairs which have got in pixels is shown on a color palette on the right. The results obtained in the present study were compared with the data of [4][5][6][7]. In [4] the calculations were carried out for the period of 15.04-30.11.2011.…”

“…7 [6, p. 14], the quality of the data from this satellite is the best. In [7] results of reanalysis of significant wave height values obtained within the period of 2010-2011 are presented. Comparison of these results with observational data was carried out using remote sensing of Envisat, Jason1 and Jason2 satellites in 2010-2011.…”

“…Currently, it is possible to resume the solution of this urgent problem using the SWAN wave model [2,3]. In 2009-2016 a number of papers [4][5][6][7][8][9][10], dealing with the wave forecast systems and results in the Black Sea basin, based on the use of the WaveWatch-III [11] and SWAN models, were published. The results of prognostic calculations for the Black Sea, obtained by the authors, as well as the calculations for other World Ocean regions [12] show that the current level of numerical methods for wave forecasting is in full compliance with the requirements of specialists engaged in studying and modeling the state of the ocean and the atmosphere, as well as the experts using these results for solving applied problems.…”

Toward Operational Wave‐Current Interactions Over the Agulhas Current System

“…Satellite altimetry-derived wave heights are used more frequently in numerical wave modeling and ocean science. These observations have been used in climatological wave studies (Young & Donelan, 2018), model validation (Myslenkov & Chernyshova, 2016;Sangalugeme et al, 2018), and for assimilation into spectral wave models (Young & Glowacki, 1996). Satellite altimetry (Jason-2 and AMSR-2) has also been used to study wave-current interactions (Ardhuin et al, 2017;Quilfen et al, 2018).…”