Analysis of Wave Fields under Tropical Cyclones in the South China Sea

The study of wave fields under extreme weather conditions, such as tropical cyclones, is becoming increasingly important for ocean engineering. In this work, wave simulation under a tropical cyclone is carried out in the South China Sea (SCS). The SWAN model is driven by the blended wind field. In this model, the wind input term and whitecapping dissipation term are specifically studied to obtain a reliable model result. During tropical cyclones Doksuri and Kai-tak in 2012, the waves are simulated in the SCS, and the simulated significant wave heights are validated by the measured data at buoys B1, B2 and B3. The validation results show that the simulated values match the measured values well. By the simulated significant wave heights, the wave field is analyzed during the tropical cyclone. In the mean and maximal conditions, the wave fields are studied with the tropical cyclone track. The maximal significant wave heights at the buoy locations are associated with the corresponding spatial distribution of significant wave heights in the SCS, which can reflect the effect of the tropical cyclone on the wave at a specified point.