Development and Testing of a Rogue Wave Threat Estimator for WAVEWATCH III (registered trademark)
Abstract
This report describes the development and implementation of a post-processing utility in the phase-averaged model for wind-generated surface gravity waves, WAVEWATCH III (registered trademark). The utility estimates the relative likelihood of rogue wave development based on four contributing factors: spectral frequency modulation, adverse current gradients, directional distribution of waves, and wind forcing. A simple scalar estimate of this type has not previously been available in this model, although an estimation of space-time extreme waves based on statistical calculations from wave spectra has been implemented (Barbariol et al., 2017). Preliminary rogue threat maps from the prototype utility are presented, and limited testing is conducted to examine variations in model output for confirmed rogue versus non-rogue events. Potential future improvements to incorporate additional causal factors, such as shallow-water bathymetry, into the utility are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 13, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1086072
Entities
People
- Julian Simeonov
- Mark D. Orzech
- Michail Manolidis
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory