Global Sea State Prediction Using OSCAT Winds: A Statistical Assessment of WAM and WWIII Hindcasts with NDBC-NOAA Buoys and Satellite Altimeter Data

This study implemented two spectral wave models, namely WAVEWATCH III and WAM, to render wave hindcasts around the globe at 1° × 1° grid resolution, and thereby to statistically evaluate their performance. The models used six-hourly spatially and temporally interpolated OSCAT wind data as input for the months of June and December in 2010. Global validation of WAM and WWIII hindcasts was achieved using satellite measurements (AVISO and Jason-2 wave data) and NDBC buoy data, which yielded an accurate statistical assessment. Both models were shown to reproduce the seasonal variability in wave height and wave period quite realistically at the buoy locations and along the selected global transects, albeit with different magnitudes. The statistical assessment and wave spectra validation showed that OSCAT winds are highly skilful in sea state prediction, even during a storm event such as the Boxing Day storm, 2010. The skill assessment of the models based on the boreal summer and winter revealed minor random errors and generally high correlations coefficients. It was noted that the performance of the two models was comparable during June 2010 using OSCAT winds. However, an exception was reported for the WAM model during December 2010, where it exhibited slightly better performance.