REGIONAL WAVE SIMULATIONS VALIDATED WITH SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS: CASE STUDY IN NORTH ARABIAN SEA

In-situ wave observations are crucial for validating wave simulations, as wave gauges are commonly used to calibrate regional wave models, such as those around the Japanese Archipelago and the North American continent. However, the deployment of wave gauges is often insufficient globally, particularly in the Arabian Sea and offshore regions around the African continent. This study demonstrates that satellite-observed significant wave height (SWH) can serve as a valuable tool for validating regional wave simulations. Additionally, two global reanalysis datasets used in WRF simulations are examined to improve wave simulation accuracy in such regions. The study evaluates the potential of satellite-observed SWH by comparing it with reanalysis data and simulation results in the northern Arabian Sea. Satellite observations effectively capture high-wave events and can be used as validation datasets for simulations. In particular, high waves associated with tropical cyclones, such as Cyclone Tej, were well captured by GOL3_NSM and SWAN simulations. Finally, ERA5 appears to outperform FNL in constructing initial and boundary conditions for WRF-SWAN under the simulation conditions of this study.