Comparison of Gulf of Mexico Wave Information Studies (WIS) 2-G Hindcast with 3-G Hindcasting

The Wave Information Studies (WIS) at the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Vicksburg, MS, recently completed twenty years (1980-1999) of wave hindcasts for the Gulf of Mexico using the second-generation wave model, WISWAVE. This wave information has been used by the Army Corps of Engineers and private consulting companies for a variety of coastal engineering applications and represents an invaluable resource for the coastal engineering community. WIS is commited to producing high-quality wave information; and thus, it is important to compare the results of this hindcast with hindcast results using the newer third-generation wave modeling technology. These comparisons are valuable for the coastal engineers that use this information and also help WIS evaluate new hindcasting regimes for future wave studies. This paper shows results of three hindcasts using the same input wind fields and the same nested grid system. Results will be shown at available measurement sites for the 1995 Level 2 and Level 3 Gulf of Mexico hindcast.