Surface wave field under binary typhoons Sarika and Haima (2016) in South China Sea. (31st August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Fumin; Cheng, Zelin; Xia, Mingyan
• Is Part Of: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science. Volume 241(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08-31
• Subjects: Binary typhoons -- South China Sea -- WaveWatch Ⅲ -- Satellite altimeter -- Significant wave height -- Wave spectra; Estuarine oceanography -- Periodicals; Coasts -- Periodicals; Estuarine biology -- Periodicals; Seashore biology -- Periodicals; Coasts; Estuarine biology; Estuarine oceanography; Seashore biology; Periodicals; 551.461805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106802
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-7714

Abstract

Abstract: The effects of the binary typhoon on the surface wave field in the South China Sea (SCS) were investigated using the third-generation wave model WaveWatch Ⅲ (WWⅢ). The surface wave field during the binary typhoons Sarika and Haima (2016) was reproduced with blended winds and two nested domains, and the simulation results obtained are in good agreement with the satellite altimeter data. To investigate different wave characteristics under binary and individual typhoons, a numerical experiment was designed with the multi-annual mean winds replacing one cyclone of the blended binary typhoons, and its results were compared with the simulation results of realistic binary typhoons. The comparison suggests that the surface waves induced by the binary typhoon not only have higher intensity, but also exhibit more complex behaviors. Binary typhoons cause an increase in the significant wave height ( H s ) inside the maximum wind radius of the latter typhoon (Haima). Factors affecting the enhanced H s on the surface wave field include typhoon intensity, maximum wind radius, and typhoon translation speeds. The interactions between waves generated by Haima and Sarika enhance extreme waves by 4%–5%. The response of wave characteristics of Sarika and Haima to the monsoon winds is different. For wave spectra, bi-modal features are widespread on the surface wave field between the interval of the two typhoons, even if the separation distance between them is greater than 1700 km. Highlights: The comparative approach of the wave field between binary typhoons and an individual typhoon. The extreme wave is enhanced under binary typhoons. The wave spectra show bi-modal characteristic between the interval of binary typhoons.