Validating Ocean Wind Wave Global Hindcast with Visual Observations from VOS

Joint analysis of wind wave characteristics derived from Voluntary Observing Ships data (VOS) and the third-generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III v.5.16 hindcast is presented. Global distributions of significant wave heights and mean periods in both datasets demonstrate good qualitative and quantitative agreement, especially in regions with a high spatiotemporal density of observations. Simulation results and visually observed wind sea and swell show perfectly consistent patterns of directional steadiness. However, wind sea heights in WW3 are overestimated predominantly in stormy regions, while swell heights are globally underestimated. The reasons for these discrepancies in assessment of wave system components are investigated in the framework of various wave regime analyses.