Optimizing wave simulation to improve the ocean circulation model in the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, the simulation performance of two source terms, ST4 and ST6, of the wave model WAVEWATCH III on significant wave heights is investigated in the North Pacific Ocean, and the root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R) and mean absolute error (E MAE) were compared between them, and all indices showed that the waves was better modelled by using ST4 in the North Pacific region. Based on the ST4 source term scheme, the Stokes drift is calculated from the wave elements simulated by WAVEWATCH III, and is added to the momentum equation of the SBPOM circulation model with the Stokes drift calculated by spectral integration, and it is found that the sea surface temperature (SST) simulated by the former scheme is better than that by the latter scheme by comparing with that of the Argo buoys, in which the RMSE is reduced by 0.018°C, E MAE is reduced by 0.025°C, and R is improved by 0.007. Finally, by comparing the simulated Langmuir numbers of the two schemes, it is found that in most of the sea area (especially in the deep sea), the simulated Langmuir number of the former scheme is smaller than that of the latter scheme by about 0.1, which indicates the former scheme can be used to enhance seawater mixing, thus improving the accuracy of the coupled WAVEWATCH III-SBPOM model.