Ocean Wave Modelling for Indo-Pacific Region Under Extreme Weather Conditions Using the Third-Generation Wave Models

As the first recorded TC formation within 1.5 degrees of the equator, TC Vamei developed in the equatorial region on 27 December 2001 with diminishing Coriolis effect. Satellite-derived wave height exhibits high sea states during the passage of TC Vamei. In the present study, numerical experiments using the third-generation wave models, WAVEWATCH III® (WW3) and Simulating WAves Nearshore model (SWAN) were conducted on the sea states of the TC Vamei. The implementation of unstructured meshes produced simulation results that are consistent with the observed data. That is, when compared with ERS-2 satellite measurements, the root mean square error (RMSE) for WW3 and SWAN was only 0.36 m and 0.52 m, respectively. Additionally, in comparison with GFO satellite measurements, the RMSE was 0.37 m and 0.54 m for WW3 and SWAN. This is because the models exhibited different performance when simulating ocean waves with significant wave heights exceeding approximately 4–5 m. However, both numerical models demonstrated promising performances, while potential difference in air-sea momentum parameterization schemes adopted by WW3 and SWAN, in simulating extreme weather events.