Sensitivity of wind waves to hurricane wind characteristics

Abstract

In this study, the influence of the spatial and temporal variability of hurricane winds, storm translation speed, intensity, and ambient wind field on surface wind waves are investigated by using a third-generation wave model (Simulating WAves Nearshore, or SWAN). The results show that the asymmetric structure of wind-induced wave field is sensitive not only to the asymmetric structure of the hurricane wind field, but also to the variations in the storm translation speed and intensity. The significant wave height (SWH) in the front-right quadrant of the storm rises as storm translation speed increases until it reaches a critical value, then the SWH drops. The opposite occurs in the rear-left quadrant. The total contribution of the hurricane translation speed to the asymmetric structure of the wave field also depends on the intensity of the hurricane. As the intensity of the hurricane increases, the relative significance of the influence of the translation speed on the asymmetric structure of the wave field decreases. Most parametric hurricane wind models can only model symmetric hurricanes and do not include background winds. However, actual hurricanes in nature are not only asymmetric but also imbedded in background winds. Thus, to more properly model hurricane-induced wave field, it is important to consider storm asymmetry, translation speed, intensity, as well as background winds.