Numerical simulations of a storm-generated island-trapped wave event at the Hawaiian Islands

The structure and generation of subinertial trapped waves at the Hawaiian Islands are investigated using a primitive equation model with realistic bathymetry, stratification, and wind forcing. The strongest wave event measured on the island of Hawaii during the 1980s is selected as a case study. An extratropical cyclone traveling to the east provided the forcing. Three model runs are considered: a single island and a chain of islands forced by synoptic‐scale winds and a chain of islands with enhanced winds to simulate features of the mesoscale forcing. Each model run documents the establishment of high and low surface elevation anomalies (0.05 m amplitudes) on opposite sides of the island of Hawaii due to convergences and divergences in the surface wind‐driven current. Predicted along‐shelf current amplitudes exceed 0.4 m/s, with the strongest currents near the surface and weak amplitudes (