| SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore) is a third-generation numerical wave model to simulate the random, short-crested, wind-generated waves in coastal regions with shallow water and ambient currents. This study focuses on the application of SWAN in Delaware Bay.; A bathymetry based on an orthogonal curvilinear grid taken from Whitney (2003), including the entire Delaware Bay and its adjacent ocean region, is used as the model domain. The grid has higher resolution in the bay than offshore, satisfying the resolution need in shallow water and calculation efficiency. Most of the physical processes presented in SWAN are utilized in the simulations, such as wave shoaling, refraction, nonlinear interactions, depth-induced breaking, wave-current interaction, bottom friction and whitecapping dissipation. The offshore boundary condition is set by the wave parameters from WAVEWATCH III simulation.; Two sensitivity factors in SWAN model are discussed. One is the wind field distribution in space. On one hand, SWAN is run with a uniform wind field; on the other hand, it is driven by spatially variable wind field. SWAN is sensitive to the current field as well. The current field calculated by ROMS (Regional Ocean Model System) with tidal input at seaward boundary has been introduced into SWAN model. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
