Sensitivity analysis of the numerical aspect of the SWAN for the tropical cyclone wave simulations in the Gulf of Oman

Abstract

The simulating waves nearshore (SWAN) model is designed for the wave simulations of nearshore areas. In the present study, this model has been applied for simulating tropical cyclone–generated waves in the Gulf of Oman. The wind and pressure field of the Gonu cyclone were reproduced by means of the cyclone wind generation (CWG) tool of the Mike DHI within multiple inputs, including the geographical location of the center of the cyclone, the radius of maximum wind speed, the pressure at the center of the cyclone, the neutral pressure, the start time of the cyclone period, and the maximum wind speed. The required specifications of the cyclone were obtained from the Joint US Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and introduced into the CWG module. With the purpose of achieving optimal settings of the model, a sensitivity analysis of the time step, grid resolution, and angle resolution has been conducted. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that effects of time step have a significant impact on the results, while generally speaking angel and grid resolution are less impressive.