Spectral and Statistical Validation of Winter SHAMAL Wind-Induced Waves Using the SPM Method and Coupled Atmosphere-Wave Model COAWST

Wind-induced waves are the most complex waves among sea waves. In special circumstances such as extreme winds and storms however, it is essential to estimate and predict them correctly. In this research, the height and period of waves was investigated during winter Shamal wind using SPM method and a numerical simulation employing Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave Sediment Transport COAWST, in the northwest of the Persian Gulf in January 2015. The beginning of the winter Shamal wind coincides with the passage of a cold front over the Persian Gulf, when the wind speed increases and the direction of wind changes to north and northwest. According to the results simulated wave height and period from COAWST show better agreement with field data compared with those of SPM method. This conclusion is also verified with statistical methods such as RMSE. In both methods, the frequency spectrum of the region is single-peak. Besides, the peak of the spectrum of SPM and COAWST, shows under-prediction in comparison with the field data. According to the standard spectrums, the JONSWAP represents the closest wave spectrum of the area under investigation.