WAVE MODEL COMPARISON CHART

Last Updated: 8/26/2005

By: Oceana Francis-Chythlook, IARC/UAF

Current
Acronym Full Name Agency Website Description First Ed. Availability Code
version

A comprehensive environment for

applying a broad spectrum of
coastal engineering design and
http://chl.erdc.usace.army. analysis in the areas of wave
Automated Coastal
ACES USACE mil/CHL.aspx? prediction, wave theory, wave 1992? v. 1.07 CEDAS, Academic $50 Fortran 77
Engineering System
p=s&a=ARTICLES;455 transformation, structural design,
wave runup, transmission, and
overtopping, littoral processes,
inlet processes, and harbor design.

A two-dimensional, depth-
integrated, barotropic time-
dependent long wave,
ADvanced Luettich and http://www.nd.edu/~adcirc/i v. 3.0 (1994), v. 1.0
ADCIRC hydrodynamic circulation model v. 44.19 (2004) SMS, Academic $4,625 Fortran 90
CIRCulation model Westerink ndex.htm (Wu)
applied to deep ocean, continental
shelves, coastal seas, and small-
scale estuarine systems.

A comprehensive numerical model

for simulating the propagation and
http://chl.erdc.usace.army.
Boussinesq wave transformation of waves in coastal Nwogu, 1993 and
BOUSS-2D USACE mil/CHL.aspx? SMS, 9.0 SMS, Academic $4,625 N/A
model regions and harbors based on a 1996
p=s&a=SOFTWARE;23
time-domain solution of
Boussinesq-type equations.

A frictional geostrophic ocean

Marsh and
model coupled to a simplified
Edwards http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/
C-GOLDSTEIN "a fast climate model" energy-moisture balance v. 1 (2002) v.2 (2003) Free Fortran
(U.Bern, JRD/LSM/CGOLD/
atmospheric model and a
Switzerland)
thermodynamic sea ice model.

CGWAVE is a local-scale finite

element wave prediction model. It
is applicable to estimation of wave
"a costal surface fields in harbors, open coastal
http://chl.wes.army.mil/rese
water wave model of regions, coastal inlets, around Jones and
CGWAVE USACE arch/wave/wavesprg/nume SMS, 9.0 SMS, Academic $4,625 N/A
the mild slope islands, and around fixed or Richards, 1992
ric/wentrances/cgwave.htp
equation" floating structures. Both
monochromatic and spectral
waves can be simulated with the
CGWAVE model.
 An atmospheric model used in the
Coupled Hadley- Southampton Hadley Centre's atmosphere and
http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/
CHIME Isopycnic Model Oceanography ice models, coupled to HYCOM. N/A N/A N/A N/A
JRD/LSM/CHIME/
Experiment Centre, UK CHIME's ocean component uses a
bipolar grid over the Arctic.

A numerical model of sea ice which

can be used as a component of a
fully coupled ice-ocean-land global
http://climate.lanl.gov/Mod climate model or in standalone Previous ed. -
CICE Sea Ice model LANL v.3.1 (2003) Free Fortran 90
els/CICE/index.htm mode for sea ice simulations. It v.3.0 (2001)
was designed to be compatible
with the POP ocean circulation
model.

Delft3D is a complete software

package featuring modelling
environment for hydrodynamics,
waves, sediment transport,
morphology, water quality, particle
tracking for water quality, and
ecology.The Delft3D-WAVE Delft3D - v.
Delft3D - v. 3.11.03
WL | Delft Hydr module can be used to simulate 3.23.02 (2004) Fortran
http://www.wldelft.nl/soft/d3 (2001), and Delft3D, Academic
Delft3D Delft3D aulics, the propagation and transformation and Delft3D- 90/95
d/intro/index.html Delft3D-Wave - v. $3000 approx.
Netherlands of random, short-crested, wind Wave - v. (SWAN)
4.86.00.04 (2001)
generated waves in coastal waters. 4.88.01 (2004)
The two different wave models
represented within the Delft3D
model suite are the second-
generation HISWA wave model
and its successor, the third-
generation SWAN model.

A coarse resolution ocean-

Fast-Ocean-Rapid- http://www.soes.soton.ac.u atmosphere coupled general
Sinha and
FORTE Troposphere- k/research/groups/ocean_c circulation model capable of 2002 N/A Free N/A
Smith integrations over timescales
Experiment model limate/forte/
ranging from days to thousands of
years.

FUlly Nonlinear U. of http://chinacat.coastal.udel. A phase-resolving, time-stepping

v. 2 (beta
FUNWAVE Boussinesq WAVE Delaware, edu/~kirby/programs/funwa Boussinesq model for ocean 1992 Free Fortran 77
surface wave propagation in the version), 2005
model USA ve/funwave.html
nearshore.
A wave model accurately
Mark Donelan Donelan, 1977 and
GLERL-Donelan predicting significant wave height
GLERL and http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/ Schwab et al., N/A Free N/A
wave model and wave direction but tending to
GLERL/NOAA 1984
underestimate the wave period.
 A C-Grid isopycnal coordinate
ocean model which simulates the
Hallberg Isopycnal Hallberg, http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~r ocean by numerically solving the
HIM 1997 v. 1.10 (2002) Free C
Model GFDL/NOAA wh/HIM/HIM.html Boussinesq primitive equations in
isopycnal vertical coordinates and
general orthogonal horizontal
coordinates.

A second-generation, stationary
wave model, predecessor to Delft3D - v.
Delft U. of SWAN used in Delft3D. Computes 3.23.02 (2004)
HIndcast Shallow http://www.wldelft.nl/soft/d3 Holthuijsen et al., Delft3D, Academic
HISWA Technology, shoaling and refraction over a and Delft3D- Fortran77?
WAter waves model d/mods/wave/hiswa.html 1989 $3000 approx.
Netherlands bottom of variable depth or due to Wave - v.
a current, wave generation due to 4.88.01 (2004)
wind, energy dissipation due to
wave breaking and bottom friction
and wave blocking by flow.

A versatile, open-source,
community Ocean Modeling
http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~ Environment using a hybrid vertical
wga/research.html coordinate and Lagrangian solution
and techniques. HOME will retain the
Hybrid Ocean
algorithmic diversity and Not released
HOME Modeling GFDL/NOAA Not released yet Free N/A
http://oceanmodeling.rsma intellectual vitality of multiple yet
Environment
s.miami.edu/lom/abs05/HO existing ocean models, while
ME_Implementation_Plan_ eliminating the software-induced
2005.pdf barriers to cooperative model-
development and validation, and
scientific collaboration.

A hybrid version of MICOM, it is a

http://oceanmodeling.rsma primitive equation ocean general
HYbrid Coordinate U. of Miami, v. 1.08 (2000) and
HYCOM s.miami.edu/hycom/index.h circulation model using density, v. 2.1 (2002) Free Fortran 90
Ocean Model USA v. 2.1.03 (I) (2001)
tml pressure, and sigma coordinates in
the vertical.
HYbrid Parallel
http://climate.lanl.gov/Mod Not released
HYPOP Ocean Program LANL Hybrid coordinate version of POP Not released yet Free N/A
els/HYPOP/index.htm yet
model

A hybrid dynamical model that

predicts in the internal wave field in
a basin or region for given forcing
http://www.soest.hawaii.ed and environmental fields. It is
Internal Wave Action U. of Hawaii, Muller et. al.,
IWAM u/PubServices/2003pdfs/M based on the radiation balance N/A Free N/A
Model USA 2003
uller.pdf equation (RBE), which describes
changes of the action density
spectrum. Methodologically, it is
similar to the WAM model.
 Miami Isopycnic http://oceanmodeling.rsma A primitive equation ocean general
U. of Miami,
MICOM Coordinate Ocean s.miami.edu/micom/micom. circulation model using density as 1995? v. 2.7 Free N/A
USA
Model html the vertical coordinate.

A spectral wind-wave model, which

DHI, http://www.dhisoftware.com
describes the propagation, growth
MIKE 21 MIKE 21 Hrsholm, /mike21/Description/Wave 2000 2005 Cost N/A
and decay of short-period waves in
Denmark _Processes.htm
nearshore and offshore areas.

A 3-dimensional, z-coordinate,
http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~
MOM Modular Ocean Model GFDL/NOAA primitive equation ocean circulation v. 1.0 v. 3.1 (2000) Free Fortran 90
smg/MOM/MOM.html
model.

The 1/8 global NCOM is run daily

at the Naval Oceanographic Office
(NAVOCEANO) with atmospheric
forcing from the Navy Operational
Naval Research Lab http://www7320.nrlssc.navy Global Atmospheric Prediction
NCOM (NRL) Coastal Ocean USNavy .mil/global_ncom/index.htm System (NOGAPS) and assimiltion N/A N/A N/A N/A
Model l of sea surface temperature and
synthetic temperature and salinity
profiles via the MODAS
climatology based on input from
the operational 1/16 NLOM sea
surface height and 1/8 MODAS
2D sea surface temperature
nowcasts.

An extensible, user-configurable
model system for nearshore wave,
U. of http://chinacat.coastal.udel. circulation and sediment
NEARshore Fortran 77
NearCoM Delaware, edu/~kirby/programs/nearc processes. A fully configured N/A 2005 Free
Community Model and 90
USA om/index.html version of NearCoM consists of a
wave module, circulation module,
and morphology module.

The 1/16 global NLOM is an

operational product run daily by the
Naval Oceanographic Office
(NAVOCEANO) with atmospheric
Naval Research Lab
http://www7320.nrlssc.navy forcing from the Navy Operational
NLOM (NRL) Layered Ocean USNavy N/A N/A N/A N/A
.mil/global_nlom/index.html Global Atmospheric Prediction
Model System (NOGAPS) and
assimilation of sea surface
temperature and satellite altimeter
data obtained via the
NAVOCEANO Altimeter Data
Fusion Center.
 Calculates nearshore wave
http://www.veritechinc.net/p transformation, water level change,
Numerical Model for and wave-induced longshore
roducts/cedas/index.htm
stimulating Longshore current across a single beach Kraus and Larson,
NMLong-CW USACE and 2002 CEDAS, Academic $50 Fortran
Current - Wave profile under the assumption of 1991
cirp.wes.army.mil/cirp/pubs
interaction longshore uniformity in both the
/pdf/TR-02-22-RPT_2.pdf
profile and hydrodynamic
processes.
WAVEWATCH III solves the
spectral action density balance
National
equation for wave number-
Oceanic and
http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/ direction spectra. The model can v. 1.15 (Tolman v. 2.22
NWW3 NOAA WaveWatch III Atmospheric Free Fortran 90
waves/ generally by applied on spatial 1997) (Tolman, 2002)
Administration
scales (grid increments) larger
(NOAA), USA
than 1 to 10 km, and outside the
surf zone.

OCCAM is a primitive equation

Ocean Circulation numerical model of the global
Southampton ocean. It is based on the GFDL
and Climate http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/
OCCAM Oceanography MOM version of the Bryan-Cox- N/A N/A Free N/A
Advanced Modelling JRD/OCCAM/
Centre, UK Semtner ocean model but includes
project
a free surface and improved
advection schemes.

A primitive equation model applied

Laboratoire
to both regional and global ocean
dOcanograp
circulation. It is intended to be a Fortran 77
hie Chartier and
http://www.lodyc.jussieu.fr/ flexible tool for studying the ocean, (with
OPA Ocean PArallelise DYnamique et Delecluse, 1985 v. 8.1 Free
opa/ the sea-ice and its interactions with Fortran 90
de and Andrich, 1988
the others components of the earth extensions)
Climatologie,
climate system (atmosphere, land-
France
surfaces, vegetation).

An ocean engineer's analysis tool

"the ocean engineer's Oceanweather, http://www.oceanweather.c for displaying and calculating a
OSMOSIS N/A N/A Cost N/A
analysis tool" Inc., USA om/software/ variety of metocean hindcast
statistics.
Princeton http://www.aos.princeton.e A sigma coordinate, free surface,
Princeton Ocean Blumberg and Fortran 77
POM University, du/WWWPUBLIC/htdocs.p ocean model, which includes a v. 4 (2004) Free
Model Mellor, late 70's and 90
USA om/ turbulence sub-model.
A model that solves the three-
dimensional primitive equations for
Parallel Ocean http://climate.lanl.gov/Mod
POP LANL fluid motions on the sphere under v. 1.0.1 (1999) v. 2.0.1 (2004) Free Fortran 90
Program model els/POP/index.htm
hydrostatic and Boussinesq
approximations.

A non-Boussinesq, free-surface
Oregon State model, employing a stable time- Fortran
POSUM Parallel OSU Model University, http://posum.oce.orst.edu/ stepping algorithm that uses 1997 2001 Free
90/95
USA operator splitting of the baroclinic
and barotropic modes.
 U. of http://chinacat.coastal.udel. A phase-resolving parabolic
REF/DIF S REF/DIF S Delaware, edu/~kirby/programs/refdif/ refraction-diffraction model for REF/DIF (1982) v. 1.0 (2005) Free Fortran 77
USA refdif.html ocean surface wave propagation.
http://marine.rutgers.edu/p A free-surface, hydrostatic,
o/index.php?model=roms primitive equation ocean model
Rutgers U.,
Regional Oceanic and that uses stretched, terrain-
ROMS USA and 1994 2004 Free Fortran 90
Modeling System following coordinates in the vertical
UCLA, USA
http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/ and orthogonal curvilinear
cesr/ROMS_page.html coordinates in the horizontal.
U. of Miami,
http://ostrogoth.rsmas.mia A family of ocean models relying
Spectral Element USA and
SEOM mi.edu/~mohamed/SEOM/ on the spectral element method for Patera, 1984 2004 Free Fortran 90
Ocean Model Rutgers U.,
seom_index.html spatial discretization.
USA
A depth integrated, short wave
averaged component that
v. 2.0
Quasi-3D U. of http://chinacat.coastal.udel. determines the nearshore currents Putrevu, 1992,
(Svendsen,
SHORECIRC nearSHORE Delaware, edu/~kirby/programs/shore and infragravity wave motion, Dongeren, 1997 Free Fortran 77
Haas, and
CIRCulation model USA circ/shorecirc.html including the vertical variation over and Sancho, 1997
Zhao)
the depth of the currents and
particle motions.

A model for nearshore wind-wave

growth and propagation. STWAVE
simulates depth-induced wave
refraction and shoaling, current-
induced refraction and shoaling,
http://chl.erdc.usace.army. v. 2.0 (Smith,
STeady state spectral depth- and steepness-induced
STWAVE USACE mil/CHL.aspx? Resio, and Zundel, v. 4.0 (2002) CEDAS, Academic $50 Fortran 77
WAVE model wave breaking, diffraction,
p=s&a=Software!9 1999)
parametric wave growth because
of wind input, and wave-wave
interaction and white capping that
redistribute and dissipate energy in
a growing wave field.

A third-generation, stationary wave

model, sucessor to HISWA used in
Delft3D. Computes parameters
Delft U. of similar to HISWA in addition to to
Simulating WAves http://fluidmechanics.tudelft Ris, 1997. v.30.51 Fortran
SWAN Technology, being fully spectral in all directions v. 40.41 (2004) Free
Nearshore .nl/swan/default.htm (Booij et. al., 1999) 90/95
Netherlands and frequencies, and computing
random, short-crested wind-
generated waves in coastal
regions and inland waters.
 A wave model capable of
computing wave conditions in
"A Boussinesq-type WL | Delft Hydr
http://www.wldelft.nl/rnd/intr regions where complex Delft-WAVES, Academic
TRITON wave model for aulics, phenomena occur within relatively N/A N/A Fortran
o/topic/triton/ $3000 approx.
harbours and coasts" Netherlands short distances (e.g., severe wave
breaking, wave reflection, wave
refraction, wave diffraction,
directional spreading, etc.).

"WAMDI Group, 1988: The

WAMDI (WAve WAM model - a third A third generation wave model
MoDeling generation ocean wave which solves the wave transport
WAM Wave Action Model 1988 Cycle 4.5 Free Fortran 90
International prediction model. J. Phys. equation explicitly without any
group) Oceanogr., 18, 1775- presumptions on the shape of the
1810." wave spectrum.
Resio, http://www.io- Calculates wave generation,
Offshore & warnemuende.de/Projects/ propagation, and decay in deep
WAVAD WAVAD Coastal Basys/linksyn/logistic/bs78 and shallow water from energy N/A N/A Free N/A
Technologies 0101.ulu/modrunrep0157.h densities contained in the energy
Inc tm spectra.
Applied A GIS intergrated wave-modeling
Science http://www.appsci.com/wav software that employs the
WAVEMAP WAVEMAP N/A N/A Cost N/A
Associates emap/wavemap.htm combined refraction-diffraction
(ASA), USA wave model REF/DIF.

A second generation wave model

http://chl.wes.army.mil/rese predicting directional spectra as
Wave Information well as integrated wave properties
arch/wave/wavesprg/nume
WISWAVE Study (WIS) WAVE USACE such as significant wave height, N/A N/A N/A N/A
ric/wgeneration/wiswave.ht
model peak wave period, vector mean
p
wave direction, and sea and swell
components according to
atmosphere wind input.

Note: (1) All currency in USD (2) N/A - Not available

Acronyms:
GFDL = Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
USACE = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
LANL = Los Alamos National Laboratory
GLERL = Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
Region (i.e.
Nearshore,
Offshore)

Nearshore

Nearshore,
Offshore

Nearshore

Offshore

Nearshore
 Offshore

Offshore

Nearshore

Offshore

Nearshore

Nearshore,
Offshore
Offshore

Nearshore

Offshore

Offshore

Offshore

Offshore
 Offshore

Nearshore,
Offshore

Offshore

Offshore

Nearshore

Offshore
Nearshore

Offshore

Offshore

Offshore

Nearshore,
Offshore

Offshore

Offshore

Offshore
Nearshore

Nearshore,
Offshore

Offshore

Nearshore

Nearshore

Nearshore
Nearshore

Offshore

Nearshore,
Offshore

Nearshore

Offshore
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