PacIOOS Aids Marine Operators in Mariana Islands with Wave Forecasts

HONOLULU - July 23, 2013 - PRLog -- Mariners and ocean recreationalists in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands now benefit from new high-resolution 7.5-day wave forecasts operated by the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS).  Ocean waves are forecast twice daily for this region using WaveWatch 3 (WW3) and Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) models by Kwok Fai Cheung, Professor of Ocean and Resources Engineering, and Ning Li, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

The regional WW3 model covers the Mariana Islands from Saipan to Guam at 3 arcmin resolution (approximately 5km) with nested SWAN models for Guam and Apra Harbor at 0.3 and 0.03 arcmin resolution (approximately 500m and 50m). The model system provides 7.5 days of forecast wave height, period, and direction twice a day and includes real-time validation at the two PacIOOS wave buoys off Guam: Ipan (#52200) and Ritidian Point (#52202).  

PacIOOS Director, Heather Kerkering, is excited about the potential for these forecasts to improve operations for harbors and ensure the safety of the public.  “Mariners, harbor masters, ocean safety officers, swimmers, and surfers in the Mariana Islands now have access to high-resolution forecasts to help plan their ocean excursions.  Improved efficiency of operations can save time and money, but more importantly, it can save lives,” explains Ms. Kerkering.

The best way to access the wave forecasts is under “surf forecasts” in the PacIOOS Voyager, a free online mapping platform (http://oos.soest.hawaii.edu/pacioos/voyager/).  

PacIOOS/SOEST researcher, Yi-Leng Chen, Professor of Meteorology, is also instrumental in the operations of the new wave forecasts. Dr. Cheung and Dr. Li perform their model runs with global as well as local wind forcing that Dr. Chen provides with his daily regional Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, also available on the PacIOOS Voyager (under “weather forecast”).

Based within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, PacIOOS is the Pacific Islands regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®).  PacIOOS is a partner­ship of data providers and users working together to enhance ocean observations and develop, disseminate, evaluate, and apply ocean data and information products designed to address the environmental, economic, and public safety needs of stakeholders who call the Pacific Islands home.