Applicability of ERA-Interim High-resolution Significant Wave Height Data in Global Sea Areas

Abstract

Wan, Y.; Zhang, X.; Dai, Y.; Li, W.; Li, L., and Qu, X., 2020. Applicability of ERA-Interim high-resolution significant wave height data in global sea areas. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 1-8. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In this paper, ERA-Interim high-resolution ocean wave reanalysis data provided by the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are matched with time-space data from buoys in the China Sea, the United States East and West Coast, the Central Pacific Ocean and European seas. Taking the significant wave height (SWH) as an example, ERA-Interim wave field data are verified, and their applicabilities in sea areas around the world are analyzed. The results show that the means of the correlation coefficients (CCs) obtained by fitting in each sea area are greater than 0.7. Furthermore, in all areas except for the European waters, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) are less than 0.4 m. The linear regression method is used to correct the data in the European sea area, and the corrected results are significantly better than the uncorrected results. The corrected CC is reduced by 3.23% compared to the uncorrected CC. The corrected RMSE is increased by 24.24% compared to the uncorrected RMSE. This shows that corrected data better reflect the real situation of the ocean surface than uncorrected data.