Wave-circulation Model Research Articles

Parallelization of a coupled wave-circulation model and its application

Using the technique of Message Passing Interface, a parallelized version of a coupled wave-circulation model was set up. The tested model is a regional one for simulating the seas off China, which is comprised of 450,625 elements and 30 vertical sigma layers. The implementation efficiency was evaluated on two kinds of computers, the HP Integrity Superdome and SGI Altix 4700 multiprocessor. The numerical results show that the low-communication high-extra-computation scheme (LCHC) produces higher efficiency than the high-communication no-extra-computation scheme (HCNC) while the number of processors exceeds 24 for HP Integrity Superdome and eight for SGI Altix 4700, respectively. The experiments with both LCHC and HCNC scheme show super-linear speed-up when the number of processors is small. The model with the LCHC scheme is preferred as it achieves parallel efficiency in excess of 90% on the HP machines for all experiments with the number of processors no more than 100, while the efficiency decreases rapidly with the HCNC scheme after the number of processors increases to more than 24. Numerical results suggest that the parallelization of this coupled wave-circulation model is efficient and portable to a variety of parallel architectures.

A High-Resolution Coupled Riverine Flow, Tide, Wind, Wind Wave, and Storm Surge Model for Southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Part I: Model Development and Validation

Abstract A coupled system of wind, wind wave, and coastal circulation models has been implemented for southern Louisiana and Mississippi to simulate riverine flows, tides, wind waves, and hurricane storm surge in the region. The system combines the NOAA Hurricane Research Division Wind Analysis System (H*WIND) and the Interactive Objective Kinematic Analysis (IOKA) kinematic wind analyses, the Wave Model (WAM) offshore and Steady-State Irregular Wave (STWAVE) nearshore wind wave models, and the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) basin to channel-scale unstructured grid circulation model. The system emphasizes a high-resolution (down to 50 m) representation of the geometry, bathymetry, and topography; nonlinear coupling of all processes including wind wave radiation stress-induced set up; and objective specification of frictional parameters based on land-cover databases and commonly used parameters. Riverine flows and tides are validated for no storm conditions, while winds, wind waves, hydrographs, and high water marks are validated for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Some Consequences of the Three-Dimensional Current and Surface Wave Equations

AbstractThree-dimensional, interacting current and surface gravity wave equations have recently been derived and compared with their counterpart vertically integrated equations; they are in the form of sigma-coordinate equations. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the consequences of these equations including energy transfer between mean energy, wave energy, and turbulence energy, to frame some outstanding research issues, to provide a Cartesian version of the sigma-coordinate equations, and to compare with other formulations of wave–current interaction. In general, the paper is intended to set the stage for the development of numerical coupled surface wave and three-dimensional general circulation models. These models often include a flow-dependent turbulence-based viscosity.

Causes of the Unusual Coastal Flooding Generated by Typhoon Winnie on the West Coast of Korea

On 19 August 1997 Typhoon Winnie brought unusually strong and extensive coastal flooding from storm surges to the west coast of Korea, which was farenough from the typhoon's center to lack significant local wind and pressure forcing.Sea levels at some tidal stations broke 36-year records and resulted in property damages of $18,000,000. This study investigated the causes of the unusual high sea levels by using an Astronomical-Meteorological Index (AMI) and a coupled ocean wave-circulation model developed by the present authors. The AMI analysis and the numerical simulation of the surge event showed that the major cause of the high sea levels was not the standard inverse barometric effect supplemented by water piling up along the coast by the wind field of the typhoon as is usual for a typical storm surge, but rather an enhanced tidal forcing from the perigean spring tide and water transported into the Yellow Sea by the currents generated by the typhoon. The numerical results also indicated that the transported water accounted for about 50% of the increased sea levels. Another cause for the coastal flooding was the resonance coupling of the Yellow Sea (with a natural normal mode period of 37.8 h) and the predominant period of the surge (36.5 h).