Ocean–wave coupled modeling in COAMPS-TC: A study of Hurricane Ivan (2004)

Abstract

Tropical cyclone ocean–wave model interactions are examined using an ESMF – (Earth System Modeling Framework) based tropical cyclone (TC) version of the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®1COAMPS® is a registered trademark of the Naval Research Laboratory.1). This study investigates Hurricane Ivan, which traversed the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in September 2004. Several oceanic and wave observational data sets, including Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) buoys, satellite altimeter data, and Scanning Radar Altimeter (SRA) data, allow for a unique analysis of the coupled atmosphere, ocean (Navy Coastal Ocean Model, NCOM), and wave (Simulating WAves Nearshore, SWAN) models in COAMPS-TC. To determine the feasibility of coupling NCOM to SWAN in high-wind conditions during Hurricane Ivan, near-surface currents in NCOM were first compared to near-surface ADCP observations. Recent modifications to SWAN, including new wind-to-wave energy input and wave-breaking energy dissipation source functions, as well as a new ocean surface drag coefficient formulation appropriate for high-wind conditions, significantly improved the forecast wave field properties, such as significant wave height (SWH), in TC conditions. Further results show that the ocean-to-wave model coupling, which allows for the strong, hurricane-induced, surface currents in NCOM to interact with SWAN, provided additional improvements to the forecast SWH field. Additionally, wave-to-ocean model coupling, which included the input of the Stokes Drift Current (SDC) calculated from the SWAN wave spectra to NCOM, is examined. The models indicate that the SDC was on the order of 10–25% of the near-surface Eulerian current during Ivan. Recent studies of the importance of the SDC and the resulting Langmuir turbulence on vertical ocean mixing in TCs is also discussed.