Source Terms in a Third-Generation Wind Wave Model

TLDR

Limitations of the current source terms and potential improvements are discussed. A new third‑generation ocean wind wave model is presented. The model incorporates existing input and nonlinear interaction source terms and introduces a two‑component dissipation term—low‑frequency turbulence‑like loss and a diagnostic high‑frequency term—tuned to reproduce idealized fetch‑limited growth. The model achieves excellent growth behavior across all fetches, matching WAM for intermediate to long fetches while markedly improving performance for extremely short fetches, and delivers smoother, numerically more robust results.

Abstract

A new third-generation ocean wind wave model is presented. This model is based on previously developed input and nonlinear interaction source terms and a new dissipation source term. It is argued that the dissipation source term has to be modeled using two explicit constituents. A low-frequency dissipation term analogous to wave energy loss due to oceanic turbulence is therefore augmented with a diagnostic high-frequency dissipation term. The dissipation is tuned for the model to represent idealized fetch-limited growth behavior. The new model results in excellent growth behavior from extremely short fetches up to full development. For intermediate to long fetches results are similar to those of WAM, but for extremely short fetches the present model presents a significant improvement (although the poor behavior of WAM appears to be related to correctable numerical constraints). The new model furthermore gives smoother results and appears less sensitive to numerical errors. Finally, limitations of the present source terms and possible improvements are discussed.