Tropical Cyclones in the Arabian Sea: overview and simulation of winds and storm-induced waves

Abstract

Three recent Tropical Cyclones (TCs) over the Arabian Sea, i.e., the super cyclone Gonu, the low intense cyclone Ashobaa, and cyclone Phet (with an unusual track), are studied using a high-resolution atmosphere-wave model and observations. The reliable performances of both atmospheric and wave models were established using the available field measurements, in which the modeling improvement in comparison with the previous studies is met. The effects of input parameterizations on the wave and wind estimations in the presence of TCs were examined. TCs track and intensity were more sensitive to the microphysics and cumulus schemes. Concerning the multi and single peaked wave spectra, three steps of wave generation, growth, and dissipation were addressed. Bimodal seas and swells exist in both generation and dissipation stages, whereas the seas are dominant in the growth stage. The performance of Westhuysen was better in modeling the combination of seas and swells.