Climatic directional wave spectra in coastal sites

A description of the sea wave climate through climatic directional spectra is provided in three coastal locations comparing the deep water with the corresponding shallow water pattern. Two nested spectral wave models WAVEWATCH III and SWAN are adopted to produce a 12-year hindcast dataset that is used to illustrate the method proposed to determine average directional spectra that describe the spectral wave conditions along the coast of Portugal, namely off the ports of Leixo similar to es, Lisbon, and Sines. The probability of occurrence of the spectral classes in each range of sea states is obtained and for each class, the spectral parameters, such as the significant wave height, peak period, and peak direction, is characterized. The spectral parameters and the probability of occurrence of the sea states are provided leading to the climatic directional spectra model. The differences be-tween the climatic spectra in offshore and coastal locations are identified and discussed. The study provides long term information on the sea states, which can be used in the assessment of the operability and safety of shipping when approaching port entrances.

Automated summary

This study provides a description of the sea wave climate through climatic directional spectra in three coastal locations. Two spectral wave models are used to produce a 12-year hindcast dataset, which is used to determine average directional spectra and analyze the differences between deep water and shallow water patterns. The study also investigates the probability of occurrence of different spectral classes and their corresponding parameters, providing valuable insights for the assessment of shipping safety near port entrances.