A Numerical Simulation of an Occurrence of Extreme Sea States within a Typhoon

Abstract

Extremely high sea states are known to occur to the right of the direction of movement in typhoons. A well documented case of such extreme sea heights in the western North Pacific is examined and compared with results obtained from a numerical spectral ocean wave model. The wind and sea state field of the numerical model compares favorably with the observed data. An examination is also made to determine how extreme sea states relate to tropical cyclone intensity, forward speed of movement, and circulation size or wind distribution. The results indicate that all three are important with intensity being the primary factor, speed of movement being of secondary importance and circulation size or wind distribution being the least important factor.