Observations of surface wave fields in the Arabian Sea under tropical cyclone Tauktae

Abstract

The characteristics of surface wave fields in the eastern Arabian Sea under tropical cyclone Tauktae were investigated using buoy data. On May 16, 2021, the cyclone passed within 96 km of the buoy location, and a maximum wave height of 9.7 m with a significant wave height of 5.6 m was recorded by the buoy, moored at 23.5 m water depth off Goa. As the cyclone approached the buoy location, a shift in the frequency caused waves to turn into unimodal spectra with high wave energy and spectral peak parameter. Further, the evolution of cyclone-induced waves and their spatial variation have been investigated using the ERA5 reanalysis data. The results suggest that for distances of ∼400 km spatial extend from the cyclone's eyewall, the cyclone induced waves to have a high impact with significant wave height above 3 m for a cyclone sustained wind speed of around 100–120 knots. The dominance of wind-seas over swells and the directional shift are noticeable, specifically along the west coast of India during the tropical cyclone passage.