High resolution local wave energy modelling in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The results of a numerical assessment of the wave energy in the Iberian North and West coast are presented. The implemented system uses the WAVEWATCH III model for wave generation and swell propagation, covering the entire North Atlantic basin, and the SWAN model for wave generation and propagation in the coastal areas. WAVEWATCH III provides the wave boundary conditions for the areas simulated by SWAN, which in turn provides the boundary conditions for the high resolution areas. Although there are results available for the Portuguese west coast and Spanish northwestern coast, they use different approaches and wind forcing data, and the present paper presents a consistent approach to identify differences among the various areas, by modelling them with the same models and using the same wind forcing and parameterizations of the SWAN model. The wind fields used in both models are from Era-Interim, a global atmospheric reanalysis data set produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the bathymetry used in high resolution areas are from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans. The model results are validated with various buoy's significant wave height, mean wave period and mean wave direction. Results are presented of the average wave power spatial distribution in the coarse SWAN domain for each month of the three years, and for the high resolution areas the spatial distribution wave energy is provided for winter and summer.