The mean and extreme tropical cyclone wave climate throughout the Coral Sea, from 1979 to 2020
File version
Accepted Manuscript (AM)
Author(s)
Vieira da Silva, Guilherme
Strauss, Darrell
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract
Here we present a mean and extreme tropical cyclone (TC)-generated wave climate for the Coral Sea (the oceanic basin east of Australia), for 1979 – 2020. An available WAVEWATCH III® hindcast model dataset with surface wind forcing from the National Centres for Environmental Prediction supplied Climate Forecasts System Version 2 was used. The resolution of this wind field is 0.3°, increasing to 0.2° from 2011, among the highest available to better represent TC vortices. The spatial and temporal resolution of the wave model was sufficient to produce TC wave climates, although a limitation in representing TCs at both ends of the intensity scale was apparent. Model performance was validated using wave buoy data at three coastal locations. The area near the Tropic of Capricorn, around 155° E, experienced the largest TC-generated mean waves with the locations of the primary swell height maxima shifted slightly north-west, in comparison with combined waves. There was an interdecadal increase (decrease) in TC significant wave height with positive (negative) IPO phase in three of the four decades. TC extreme wave maxima were situated further east, compared to the TC generated mean waves. The 50 and 100-year average return intervals indicated high extreme waves near the northeastern tip of Australia and northwest of New Caledonia. For the east Australian coast, extreme waves from TCs showed a decreasing trend in the south only. This study presents a unique mapping of TC wave characteristics over the entire Coral Sea and validates the use of a globally applicable method, for such applications.
Journal Title
Tropical Cyclone Research and Review
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Publishing services by Elsevier on behalf of KeAi and The Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Item Access Status
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advance online version.
Copyright permissions for this publication were identified from the publisher's website at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcrr.2025.03.001
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Climatology
Climate change science
Atmospheric sciences
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Miller, J; Vieira da Silva, G; Strauss, D, The mean and extreme tropical cyclone wave climate throughout the Coral Sea, from 1979 to 2020, Tropical Cyclone Research and Review, 2025