The application, tuning and optimisation of a third generation SWAN wave model to the Italian Seas is here analysed in terms of statistical and deterministic properties. Specifically we focus on the capabilities of the model to reproduce experimental data from wave buoys with the main aim to quantify the confidence limits of the forecasts when used for operational purposes at sea.
The model was run to simulate a continuous 12 months period (November 2004 – October 2005), forced with wind fields derived from an 0.25 deg resolution ETA model over the entire Mediterranean Sea. The numerical results of significant wave height, peak period and mean wave direction are compared with the data available from 13 wave buoys of Rete Ondametrica Nazionale – RON (Italy), both in a statistical (Wave Scatter Diagrams) and deterministic (time domain) analysis.
