Proceedings of the Thirty-second (2022) International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference
Shanghai, China, June 5–10, 2022
Copyright © 2022 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)
ISBN 978-1-880653-81-4; ISSN 1098-6189

www.isope.org

Hindcast of wind-driven waves for operational management in the Russian Arctic
Nikita Sandalyuk1, Ekaterina Zhdanova1, Natalia Sukhikh1, Alexander Evdokimov1,2
1

Marine Information Technologies
Moscow, Russia
2
Marine Research Center, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia

approaches, wave models and wind forcings, as well as different typesof data for model verification. However, these studies do not provide us
with any particular insights on parameters selection for model setup, aswell as on sensitivity analysis of the model parameters for the study
region.
The comprehensive statistics on the wave climate in the Barents andKara Seas were presented in the Lopatukhin et al. (2003). Based on thedata from the Lopatukhin et al. (2003) we can see that the stormy weather
dominates the Arctic Region for a significant period of the calendar yearwith the waves heights of more than 10 m are possible every year andmost often occur in the period from November to February. Thus, it isimportant to develop new methods of analysis and wave forecast in thestudy region.
The performance of the SWAN model has been investigated bycomparison with field data collected during the period May-July 2021.
This study is a part of the project for the development andimplementation of an Operational Forecast System based onhydrodynamic models and machine learning for the region of the Russian
Arctic Seas.

ABSTRACTIn this work, we present the results of the verification of Simulating
WAves Nearshore (SWAN) third-generation numerical wave model
coupled online with the Delft3D FLOW module for 2 areas of theBarents Sea. The Delft3D-WAVE module currently incorporates theSWAN model as the standard option within Delft3D. Several scenarios
are investigated through comparison with buoy measurements deployedin 2 locations. Most parameters, such as eddy viscosity, wind dragcoefficients, depth-induced breaking (αB, γB), bottom friction show no
significant sensitivity to the SWAN model predictions. Considerable
differences in the wave model results are attained by switchingwhitecapping parametrization from Komen to van der Westhuysen. An
optimal combination of model setup parameters was determined for astudy region.
KEY WORDS: waves; wave prediction and simulation; SWAN model;
DELFT3D; Barents Sea; Arctic

INTRODUCTION

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The growing interest in the Russian Arctic region is primarily
driven by the increasing development of the oil and gas industry. The
exploration of ocean resources in the Arctic region, development of theNorthern Sea Route, and coastal construction have led to increasing
demand for hydrometeorological observations.
Wind-driven waves are a highly energetic ocean phenomenon andlimiting factor for oceanic operations and construction works. The designof offshore installations and the planning of offshore operations
significantly depend on reliable statistics of wind and waves.
The Russian Arctic region is traditionally sparsely covered with insitu observations due to the remote location and harsh climaticconditions. The lack of in-situ wave data observations for the nearshore
zones of the polar regions and the rapid growth of the maritime industry
in these areas create an ever-growing demand for wave data obtained bynumerical modelling.
The wave conditions in the Barents Sea have previously been
investigated in a number of studies (Reistad et al., 2011; Myslenkov etal., 2015; Korablina et al., 2016; Myslenkov et al., 2016; Myslenkov etal., 2018; Myslenkov et al., 2020). The authors used different

For wave modelling we use the Delft3D-WAVE module coupledonline with the Delft3D-FLOW module. The Delft3D-WAVE module
currently incorporates the SWAN model as the standard option within
Delft3D. Thus, further in the text, we refer to the Delft3D-WAVE
module as SWAN. The third-generation SWAN model computes wave
propagation, wave generation by wind, nonlinear wave-wave
interactions (quadruplets and triads), and energy dissipation due towhitecapping, for a given bottom topography, wind field, water level andcurrent field in waters of deep, intermediate and finite depth (Booij et al.,
1999; Ris et al., 1999; Deltares, 2020a).

Model Setup
Calculations have been performed on a rectangular grid in sphericalcoordinates with a resolution 0.1°×0.1°. The calculation area is defined
as 31.5–55.6°E, 63.7–76.5°N and includes the central and southern areasof the Barents Sea, as well as the whole region of the White Sea (Figure1). The vertical resolution of the Delft3D-FLOW module is 10 layers,2649