High-resolution wave forecasting : the Catalan coast case : modelling, coupling and validation

It is widely known that wind and wave predictions in the nearshore are less precise for semi enclosed domains than in the open ocean. The Catalan coast is a clear example of this situation, with a wave climate controlled by short fetches, complex bathymetry, high wind field variability in time and space, and sea and swell waves combined that generate bimodal spectra. These characteristics, typical for a semi-enclosed basin, limit the reliability of wave predictions in the area, with errors on the significant wave height around 10% and a clear under-prediction of the wave period with errors around 30%. The motivation of this work is to improve the actual wave forecasting abilities for the Catalan Coast using the SWAN v.4091 wave model. In order to achieve this goal, three working lines are considered: (1)adapting the model to the Catalan coast conditions, tuning the wave growth rates included in the model to better reproduce the observed values, (2) evaluate the effect of the currents and wind into the wave field by using a coupled system and (3) consider the use of unstructured grids as an alternative to the traditionally nested systems in order to obtain high resolution wave forecasts in coastal areas reducing the computational time and avoiding the use of internal boundary conditions with their associated errors. The results obtained support previous studies where the limited ability of the models to reproduce wave growth rates in young seas have been detected. The whitecapping term correction proposed in this document helps reducing under-prediction of the wave period observed with almost no effect on the significant wave height. This correction can be applied to similar environments. However, the proposed formulation is only suitable for the early stages of generation and should be discontinued after waves reach a certain maturity. Two coupling strategies are considered, a one-way coupling where current fields are directly introduced into the wave model, and a two-way coupling where the waves, currents and winds models run in parallel. The effects of the coupling are evaluated during calm periods but also during energetic events. The results show that during calm conditions the coupling does hardly improve the results while during energetic events, such as superficial currents intensifications or wind jet events, the coupling has greater importance. However, the two-way coupling has extremely high computational requirements, not always available. In this sense, the use of unstructured grids as an alternative to the traditional nested systems is presented. The main benefit of unstructured grids is that allows working with a single grid with different resolutions in each sub-domain, improving the resolution in coastal areas. Other advantage is the capacity to better reproduce the sharp coastline and the areas around the islands. The design of unstructured grids has been shown as one of the most delicate parts of this methodology, requiring special attention for the grid generation criteria. The validation of the results, performed with buoy measurements in the nearshore but also for the entire domain with altimetry measurements, allows stating that unstructured grids perform correctly in the study area. Finally, the proposed work suitability for an operational forecasting system has been considered. The whitecapping term modification is proven to be decisive in the quality of the wave forecast, while the coupling is not always recommended depending on computational capabilities. The use of unstructured grids with a regional triangular mesh covering the entire Western Mediterranean sea is considered as the first option, providing accurate high resolution wave conditions near the coast with a clear reduction of the computational time in comparison with a traditional nested system.