Wave modelling in the Ecuadorian Pacific using WAVEWATCH III and SWAN

• Main Author: Sosa Moreno, Jeison Ebert
• Other Authors: Portilla, Jesús (dir)
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Quito: USFQ, 2014 2014
• Subjects: Oceanografía; Olas; Modelos Matemáticos; Simulación por Computadores; GEOGRAFÍA; Pacific; Antarc*; Antarctica; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://repositorio.usfq.edu.ec/handle/23000/3521

During the last few decades, the study of ocean waves has been a focus of attention and, consequently, many developments in this field have been achieved (e.g., numerical wave models). Many of those numerical models are distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (e.g., WAVEWATCH III, SWAN). The wind wave model WAVEWATCH III particularly has been widely implemented in many countries to predict and simulate wind waves, mainly in ocean scale domains. The SWAN model, on the other hand, is more specialized in regional and coastal domains. The present work is focused in the prediction of wind waves in the Ecuadorian Pacific, using the capabilities of these two models. The operational wave model implemented provides output (e.g., Significant wave height and Peak period) available at http://ocean.usfq.edu.ec. As part of this implementation, the influence of sea ice extent in the Antarctica was evaluated, showing situations of large impacts in the wave conditions at the Ecuadorian coast. Finally, different alternatives to specify boundary conditions for the coastal model SWAN were studied. The results shows that there is not a major difference between them for the cases studied. However, further research is needed for more general boundary conditions. Durante las últimas décadas, el estudio del oleaje ha sido un foco de atención y, consecuentemente, muchos avances han sido logrados en este campo (e.g., modelo numéricos de oleaje). Muchos de estos modelos numéricos son distribuidos bajo los términos de la Licencia Pública General de GNU (e.g., WAVEWATCH III, SWAN). El modelo numérico WAVEWATCH III particularmente ha sido implementado en varios países para predicción y simulación de oleaje, principalmente en dominios de escala oceánica. El modelo SWAN, por otro lado, es más especializado en dominios costeros y regionales. El presente trabajo se enfocó en la predicción de oleaje en el Pacífico Ecuatoriano, usando las bondades de estos dos modelos. El modelo operacional de oleaje implementado provee ...