Surface Wave Numerical Simulation and Characteristics Analysis Considering the Effect of Sea Ice in the Bohai Sea, China

The Bohai Sea is the primary sea area in China for which sea ice exists. Sea ice affects the socio-economics of the region tremendously. Simultaneously, the existence of sea ice contributes significantly to waves. This study proposed an ice-wave parameterization scheme suitable for Bohai Sea and investigated wave characteristic trends in the Bohai Sea. We utilized the WAVEWATCH III (WW3) wave model, integrated with a sea ice model, to perform a numerical simulation of wave conditions over the past 41 years. The outcomes of wave simulation are employed to characterize the spatial and temporal features of the wave climate along with the monthly, seasonal, and annual significant wave heights (SWH) in the Bohai Sea for 1979-2019. The results show that the wave characteristics of the sea area have obvious changes after the addition of sea ice, which proves the importance of sea ice influence on waves. The attenuation rate of SWH in Liaodong Bay exceeds 30% after the addition of sea ice, while the attenuation rate in coastal areas can reach up to 60%. Besides, the regularity between the variations of sea ice and waves in Liaodong Bay has been revealed, the correlation coefficients of SWH and ice thickness, as well as ice concentration, are - 0.79 and - 0.81. In the end, the recurrence interval of SWH was studied to provide a reference for ship navigation, offshore engineering construction, wharf design, disaster prevention and reduction in the Bohai Sea.