Abstract
Wave fields of the South China Sea (SCS) from 1976 to 2005 were simulated using WAVEWATCH III by inputting high-resolution reanalysis wind field datasets assimilated from several meteorological data sources. Comparisons of wave heights between WAVEWATCH III and TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter and buoy data show a good agreement. Our results show seasonal variation of wave direction as follows: 1. During the summer monsoon (April–September), waves from south occur from April through September in the southern SCS region, which prevail taking about 40% of the time; 2. During the winter monsoon (December–March), waves from northeast prevail throughout the SCS for 56% of the period; 3. The dominant wave direction in SCS is NE. The seasonal variation of wave height H s in SCS shows that in spring, H s ≥1 m in the central SCS region and is less than 1 m in other areas. In summer, H s is higher than in spring. During September-November, influenced by tropical cyclones, H s is mostly higher than 1 m. East of Hainan Island, H s>2 m. In winter, H s reaches its maximum value influenced by the north-east monsoon, and heights over 2 m are found over a large part of SCS. Finally, we calculated the extreme wave parameters in SCS and found that the extreme wind speed and wave height for the 100-year return period for SCS peaked at 45 m/s and 19 m, respectively, SE of Hainan Island and decreased from north to south.
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Supported by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Zhou, L., Li, Z., Mou, L. et al. Numerical simulation of wave field in the South China Sea using WAVEWATCH III. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 32, 656–664 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-014-3155-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-014-3155-x