Estimating Wave Height Distributions in the Seto Inland Sea, Ise Bay and Tokyo Bay of Japan Generated by 3 Giant Typhoons in the Showa Era

Abstract

Shallow water wave hindcastings are conducted in the Seto Inland Sea, Ise Bay and Tokyo Bay for each of the so-called 3 giant typhoons in the Showa Era (Muroto Typhoon in 1934, Makurazaki Typhoon in 1945 and Isewan Typhoon in 1959). The computations follow the spatial distribution of time-dependent wave height and maximum value. The sea wind distributions given as the driving forces are estimated using a method which transforms the land-based measurement wind data into the wind data at sea or coastal stations and applies a spatial interpolation technique to the data. The main conclusion is that any of the typhoons may have generated the largest wave height over the past 90 years in the sea area of the typhoon path.