Our large weather model portfolio was extended with a new ocean model, MFWAM. The model has a spatial resolution of 8km and global coverage and is the wave model with the highest spatial resolution. In our weather maps, you can choose the wave model in the lower right corner. It covers a forecast time range of 10 days and is available for the following wave types:
- Wave height for significant, swell and wind waves, describing the height of these different wave types.
- Wave period for swell and wind waves, which is the average time between two wave peaks.
Local winds generate wind waves, and the height of these waves mainly depends on wind speed, duration, and the distance over which the wind is blowing with constant wind speed.
Swell waves originate from distant weather systems. They usually travel long distances (thousands of kilometres) and have a relatively long time and wavelength compared to local wind waves. They can be very large also when there are no local winds.
Significant wave heights are the average of the largest third (33%) of the swell waves over a recording time period. However, this also means that some other waves are much higher.
Thanks to Meteo France for maintaining their global ocean analysis and forecast system and providing the data.
