On the Use of Parametric Wind Models for Wind Wave Modeling under Tropical Cyclones

Wave and wind forces from tropical cyclones are one of the main design parameters of coastal and offshore infrastructure in tropical areas. The estimation of ocean waves parameters in the design of structures in tropical areas is difficult due to the complexity of wind fields associated with tropical cyclones. The use of numerical wave models, forced with parametric wind fields, is a common practice within the climatic characterization of extreme events. However, there is currently no consensus on the selection of parametric models for wave prediction due to the lack of a rigorous assessment of different models. In this study, six well-known parametric wind models were tested, compared, and applied in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Therefore, the evaluation and comparison of the resulting wind and wave fields are presented, showing that a particular model may best represent a specific event, but, when dealing with a large number of events, the choice of a particular parametric wind model or a combination of them does not guarantee greater accuracy.