Wind Wave Effects On Surface Stress In Hydrodynamic Modeling

Wind, wave and current interactions control the boundary fluxes, momentum and energy exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean, and within the water column. The wind wave effect on surface stress is investigated using a three-dimensional time-dependant ocean circulation model. The POM (Princeton Ocean Model) based model is implemented with realistic coastlines in South China Sea and emphasizes the simulation of physical parameters in the water column. Taking account of the wind waves, an increase in air-sea drag coefficient, reflecting an enhanced sea surface roughness due to increased wave heights, is shown to improve the simulated surface current and the sea surface elevation. It is also found that developing waves with smaller peak periods influenced the surface circulation more significantly.