On Surface Waves Generated by Extra-Tropical Cyclones—Part II: Simulations

• Published in: Remote Sensing
• Main Authors: Cheshm Siyahi, Vahid, Kudryavtsev, Vladimir, Yurovskaya, Maria, Collard, Fabrice, Chapron, Bertrand
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Norwegian Sea; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04204066; https://hal.science/hal-04204066/document; https://hal.science/hal-04204066/file/remotesensing-15-02377-v2.pdf; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092377

International audience In the previous companion study, satellite data were used to describe peculiar characteristics of ocean surface wave fields, generated by two extra-tropical cyclones (ETCs) rapidly propagating in the North Atlantic. Based on a 2D parametric wave model, further details are now provided to analyse and interpret the spatio-temporal evolution of very intense ETC-generated waves. Significant wave height and wavelength values are shown to reach extreme values, 18 m and 500 m, respectively. Resulting energetic swell systems waves then radiate in the whole eastern part of the North Atlantic, and more particularly in the Norwegian sea region. Moving to higher latitudes, wind forcing characteristics of ETCs evolve, with the shape of the wind field changing from quasi-cyclonic to “air jets/Icelandic lows”. In this paper, the resulting swell generation and propagation, after the deformation of an individual ETC, were studied, as well. Confirmed with comparisons with multi-satellite observations, the application of the parametric-2D wave-ray model was demonstrated to provide robust and highly detailed information on wave generation under very complex wind regime changes.