An estimate of typical scenarios of wave regimes at the Rio Grande do Sul using WW3 reanalysis data

Abstract

In this study, 30 years of sea state data reconstructed by means of the wave generation model WW3 for the oceanic area were used to investigate wave regimes in southern Brazil. By applying a splitting routine (WW3´s Wsplit) to the spectra generated by WW3, each sea state was decomposed into its primary and secondary wave systems. Histograms of wave height and period against direction of incidence constructed for the 30 year period, showed that the region possesses two different characteristic wave systems: seas from the East quadrant and swell from the South quadrant. In a more detailed characterization, histograms constructed with 30 years of data were compared with annual histograms and the results were used to identify the year that best represented the totality of the data. For this representative year identified, the technique of clusters analysis was applied and six typical scenarios of wave system in the Southern RS state were found. (A) Easterly swell, (B) Easterly sea, (C) Westerly sea, (D) Southerly sea, (E) Southerly swell e (F) SouthEasterly ground swell.