Upgrade of the Chilean Wave Atlas database

Abstract

The Chilean Wave Atlas (AOC1), a reliable hindcast developed in 2017 for the academic and engineering community, diminished its usefulness due to the obsolescence of wind data provided by ERA-Interim reanalysis. This study presents the calibration and validation of a new wave hindcast forced using hourly winds data from ERA5 reanalysis. A total of 24 simulations were conducted: 15 using the semi-empirical ST4 parameterization and 9 using the observed-based ST6 parameterization, both implemented in WaveWatch III. Model results were compared with in-situ wave data from buoys along the Chilean coast. Generally, the ST4 physics package demonstrated superior performance with minimal variability in error statistical parameters between simulations. However, the observed-based ST6 parameterization produced the best results for simulating wave direction. By defining a multi-criteria performance score, the optimal model configuration was selected, and a new hindcast was generated for the period between 1979 and 2022. This hindcast includes hourly fields of significant wave height, mean and peak wave period, and mean and peak wave direction for the Pacific Ocean, as well as 72 locations with directional spectra. The upgraded Chilean Wave Atlas (AOC3) significantly improves the performance of AOC1 when compared with satellite-derived wave heights along the Chilean coast. Furthermore, the AOC3 data show good performance compared to other freely available hindcasts.