Modelling of waves in the Irish Sea: effects of oceanic wave and wind forcing

This study uses a series of scenarios of wave (boundary) and wind (local) forcing to examine the sensitivity and to quantify the effects associated with nesting ProWAM and POLCOMS models for downscaling predictions of waves in the Irish Sea. The model results show that the response of the modelling system to the wave and wind forcing during the downscaling varies widely depending on wind conditions. Generally, the wave forcing has a greater effect on overall wave prediction in most of the Irish Sea, except for the eastern Irish Sea/Liverpool Bay. The study also suggests detailed look-up tables at specific locations to quantify the impacts of the different forcing scenarios over the Irish Sea, which can be readily extended to the location on any other sites.