Maximum waves in the Black Sea based on the results of numerical modeling

Abstract

In this paper, a comparison of the wind waves parameters calculations in the Black and Azov seas, using two common spectral wave models: DHI MIKE 21 SW and SWAN was made. The fields of the wind waves main parameters (wave heights, periods, directions of propagation) were obtained for a climatic period of time from 1979 to 2018. Comparison of the calculation results shows that with the accepted model settings, the SWAN model, compared with MIKE, overestimates the values of wave heights with weak and moderate waves and underestimates with the extreme ones. Estimation of the maximum wave heights on the Black Sea, possible once in a given number of years, performed on two different models, was made. It showed that for the conditions of the Black Sea the difference between the calculated values of significant wave heights of rare frequency for the MIKE and SWAN models does not exceed 12%. The maximum significant wave heights, possible once in a hundred years, in the Black Sea can reach 11-12 m.