Wave Models

WISWAVE is a second generation wave model developed under the WIS. The model predicts directional spectra as well as integrated wave properties such as significant wave height, peak wave period, vector mean wave direction, and sea and swell components according to atmosphere wind input. Free download.

STWAVE (STeady State spectral WAVE) is an easy-to-apply, flexible, robust, half-plane model for nearshore wind-wave growth and propagation. STWAVE simulates depth-induced wave refraction and shoaling, current-induced refraction and shoaling, depth- and steepness-induced wave breaking, diffraction, parametric wave growth because of wind input, and wave-wave interaction and white capping that redistribute and dissipate energy in a growing wave field. Free download.

SWAN is a third-generation wave model that computes random, short-crested wind-generated waves in coastal regions and inland waters. The current version of SWAN is 40.72 and succeeds the previous version 40.51 as from May 2008. A list with modifications is maintained. Also a list of known bugs and patches is maintained for the current SWAN version. Freely available.

WAVEWATCH III (Tolman 1997, 1999a) is a third generation wave model developed at NOAA/NCEP in the spirit of the WAM model (WAMDIG 1988, Komen et al. 1994). It is a further development of the model WAVEWATCH I, as developed at Delft University of Technology (Tolman 1989, 1991) and WAVEWATCH II, developed at NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center (e.g., Tolman 1992). WAVEWATCH III, however, differs from its predecessors in many important points such as the governing equations, the model structure, the numerical methods and the physical parameterizations. Freely available.

The global ocean WAve prediction Model called WAM is a third generation wave model. WAM predicts directional spectra as well as wave properties such as significant wave height, mean wave direction and frequency, swell wave height and mean direction, and wind stress fields corrected by including the wave induced stress and the drag coeffieient at each grid point at chosen output times.

Modeling Wave Generation, Evolution, and Interaction with Depth-Integrated, Dispersive Long Wave Equations