Global Wave Hindcasts Using the Observation-Based Source Terms: Description and Validation

• Published in: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
• Main Authors: Liu, Q., Babanin, A. V., Rogers, W. E., Zieger, S., Young, I. R., Bidlot, J. R., Durrant, T., Ewans, K., Guan, C., Kirezci, C., Lemos, G., MacHutchon, K., Moon, I. J., Rapizo, H., Ribal, A., Semedo, A., Wang, J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Wiley; 2021
• Subjects: wave hindcasts; ocean waves; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002493; http://cdm21063.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p21063coll3/id/14263

Global wave hindcasts are developed using the third generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III with the observation-based source terms (ST6) and a hybrid rectilinear-curvilinear, irregular-regular-irregular grid system (approximately at urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0001). Three distinct global hindcasts are produced: (a) a long-term hindcast (1979–2019) forced by the ERA5 conventional winds urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0002 and (b) two short-term hindcasts (2011–2019) driven by the NCEP climate forecast system (CFS)v2 urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0003 and the ERA5 neutral winds urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0004, respectively. The input field for ice is sourced from the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) sea-ice concentration climate data records. These wave simulations, together with the driving wind forcing, are validated against extensive in-situ observations and satellite altimeter records. The performance of the ST6 wave hindcasts shows promising results across multiple wave parameters, including the conventional wave characteristics (e.g., wave height urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0005 and wave period) and high-order spectral moments (e.g., the surface Stokes drift and mean square slope). The ERA5-based simulations generally present lower random errors, but the CFS-based run represents extreme sea states (e.g., urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0006 m) considerably better. Novel wave parameters available in our hindcasts, namely the dominant wave breaking probability, wave-induced mixed layer depth, freak wave indexes and wave-spreading factor, are further described and briefly discussed. Inter-comparisons of urn:x-wiley:19422466:media:jame21415:jame21415-math-0007 from the long-term (41 years) wave hindcast, buoy measurements and two different calibrated altimeter data sets highlight the inconsistency in these altimeter records arising from different ...