Whitecapping term analysis of extreme wind wave modelling considering spectral characteristics and water depth

Abstract

The Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model can be used to simulate extreme wind waves such as tropical cyclone waves, which are of great significance for the study of coastal processes and the protection of coastal engineering. In this study, the basic setting and whitecapping term of the SWAN model are analysed to model tropical cyclone waves, with spectral characteristics and water depth taken into account. By investigating the temporal variation of bulk wave parameters and wave spectral characteristics of key nodes, the optimal values of 4 basic setting parameters are determined. By analysing the sensitivity of tuning effects of key coefficients in different whitecapping formulations, calibration criteria of these parameters are provided, and the coefficients Stpm and Powk in the Komen formulation are found to be most sensitive to the outputted significant wave height and mean wave period, respectively. To further study the sensitivity of these coefficients, especially their relationship with water depth, spatial analyses of sensitivity variations are performed in the coastal region, which show that the sensitivity of these coefficients increases first and then tends to be stable with the increase of water depth, indicating a critical water depth between 20 m and 50 m. This study provides insights for more effective and directional modelling of tropical cyclone waves in coastal and shelf seas.