Vr. Swail et At. Cox, On the use of NCEP-NCAR reanalysis surface marine wind fields for a long-term North Atlantic wave hindcast, J ATMOSP OC, 17(4), 2000, pp. 532-545
This paper uses a state-of-the-art. third-generation wave model to evaluate
the marine surface wind fields produced in the National Centers for Enviro
nmental Protection-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) Rea
nalysis (NRA) project. Three alternative NRA wind fields were initially con
sidered by assessing the resulting wave hindcasts against wave measurements
in the North Atlantic Ocean. The surface 10-m wind field was found to be t
he most skillful and was selected for further analysis.
While the wind fields from the NRA were found to be at least as skillful as
the best of the analyses produced by operational Numerical Weather Predict
ion centers, they had significant deficiencies when compared to kinematical
ly analyzed wind fields carried out in detailed hindcast studies. Storm pea
k wave heights in extratropical storms were systematically underestimated a
t higher sea states due to underestimation of peak wind speeds in major jet
streak features propagating about intense extratropical cyclones. In addit
ion, in situ data were incorrectly assimilated and tropical cyclones were p
oorly resolved.
In this study an intensive kinematic reanalysis was carried out in which wi
nd fields in extratropical storms were intensified as necessary, in situ su
rface wind data were correctly reassimilated, and tropical cyclone boundary
layer winds were included.
Comparisons with in situ buoy measurements and satellite altimeter data sho
w clear improvements in both bias and scatter in the wave hindcasts using t
he kinematically reanalyzed wind fields, particularly in the higher sea sta
tes. Furthermore. the hindcast wind and wave climatologies closely resemble
those obtained from measured wind and wave data from buoys and offshore pl
atforms.