NOAA Wave Watch III Model Output


1.0 Data Set Overview

This data set contains output from the NOAA Wave Watch III model that is operationally run by NOAA/NCEP.
The model was initialized every six hours at 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC.  Included in this data set are the
global AWIPS grid, tabular bulletins, compressed bulletins, comma-separated value bulletins, and spectral
data for the SOCARTES period.  The grids are in GRIB2 format.

2.0 Model Description

A complete description of the NOAA Wave Watch III model is available in the file WWIII_manual.v5.16.pdf 
included with your data order and additional information is available in the documents listed in the 
references.  Also the file WAVEWATCHIII_Production_Multigrid_ July_2013_to_present.pdf included with your
order is the web page that the user was directed to for "Model Description" when these data were collected.

3.0 Data Collection

These data were retrieved in real time from the NCEP Central Operations production ftp server:
ftp://ftpprd.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/data/nccf/com/wave/prod/

4.0 Data Format

The following file types are included in this data set:

FF is model initialization time (00, 06, 12, or 18).

nww3.tFFz.bull_tar - Tabular bulletins (ASCII)
nww3.tFFz.cbull_tar - Compressed bulletins (ASCII)
nww3.tFFz.csbull_tar - CSV bulletins (ASCII)
nww3.tFFz.grib.grib2 -  Global AWIPS grid (1.250 x 1.000 deg resolution) in grib2 format
nww3.tFFz.grib.grib2.idx ASCII index file for nww3.tFFz.grib.grib2
nww3.tFFz.spec_tar.gz - Spectral data (ASCII)
multi_1.nww3.tFFz.grib2 - Global deterministic wave model (multi_1) GRIB2 format
multi_1.nww3.tFFz.grib2.idx - ASCII index file for multi_1.nww3.tFFz.grib2

5.0 Data Remarks

To work with WAVEWATCH III® GRiB, any standard tools which read GRiB will work. One such tool is the freely available wgrib2 utility. The wgrib2 home page and software is:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/wesley/wgrib2/index.html

Another option is the ECMWF tool ecCodes: https://software.ecmwf.int/wiki/display/ECC/ecCodes+Home

6.0 References

Booij, N. and L. H. Holthuijsen, 1987: Propagation of ocean waves in discrete spectral wave models. J. Comp. Phys., 68, 307-326.

Chawla, A., and H. L. Tolman, 2007: Automated grid generation for WAVEWATCH III. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 254, 71 pp.

Chawla, A., and H. L. Tolman, 2008: Obstruction grids for spectral wave models, Ocean Modelling, 22, 12-25.

Komen, G. J., L. Cavaleri, M. Donelan, K. Hasselmann, S. Hasselmann and P. A. E. M. Janssen, 1994: Dynamics and Modelling of Ocean Waves. Cambridge University Press, 532 pp.

Chawla, A., and H. L. Tolman, 2007: Automated grid generation for WAVEWATCH III. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note 254, 71 pp..

Chawla, A. and H. L. Tolman, 2008: Obstruction grids for wave models. Ocean Modelling, 22, 12-25.

Hanson, J. L. and R. E. Jensen, 2004: Wave system diagnostics for numerical wave models. In 8th International Workshop on Wave Hindcasting and Forecasting, JCOMM Tech. Rep. 29, WMO/TD-No.1319.

Hanson, J.L., B. A. Tracy, H. L. Tolman and D. Scott, 2006: Pacific hindcast performance evaluation of three numerical wave models. in 9th International Workshop on Wave Hindcasting and Forecasting, JCOMM Tech.Rep.34. Paper A2.

Hanson, J. L., B. A. Tracy, H. L. Tolman and R. D. Scott, 2009: Pacific hindcast performance of three numerical wave models, J. Atmos. Oceanic Techn., In Press.

The WAVEWATCH III Development Group., 2016: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH III version 5.16. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 329, 326 pp. + Appendices.

Tolman, H. L., 1989: The numerical model WAVEWATCH: a third generation model for the hindcasting of wind waves on tides in shelf seas. Communications on Hydraulic and Geotechnical Engineering, Delft Univ. of Techn., ISSN 0169-6548, Rep. no. 89-2, 72 pp.

Tolman, H. L., 1991a: A third-generation model for wind waves on slowly varying, unsteady and inhomogeneous depths and currents. J. Phys. Oceanogr. , 21, 782-797

Tolman, H. L., 1991b: Effects of tides and storm surges on North Sea wind waves. J. Phys. Oceanogr. , 21, 766-781

Tolman, H. L., 1992: Effects of numerics on the physics in a third-generation wind-wave model. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 22, 1095-1111.

Tolman, H. L., 1995: On the selection of propagation schemes for a spectral wind wave model. NWS/NCEP Office Note 411, 30 pp. + figures.

Tolman, H. L., 1997: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH-III version 1.15. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note 151, 97 pp. (0.74MB PDF file).

Tolman, H. L., 1999a: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH-III version 1.18. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note 166, 110 pp. (0.76Mb pdf file).

Tolman, H. L., 1999b: WAVEWATCH-III version 1.18: Generating GRIB files. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note 167, 7 pp. (0.15MB pdf file)

Tolman, H. L., 1999c: WAVEWATCH-III version 1.18: Post-processing using NCAR graphics. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note 168, 9 pp. (0.15Mb pdf file).

Tolman, H. L., 2001: Improving propagation in ocean wave models. Ocean Wave Measurement and Analysis, San Francisco, CA, B. L. Edge and J. M. Hemsley, Eds., ASCE, 507-516.

Tolman, H. L., 2002a: Distributed memory concepts in the wave model WAVEWATCH III. Parallel Computing, 28, 35-52.

Tolman, H. L., 2002b: Validation of WAVEWATCH III version 1.15 for a global domain. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note Nr. 213, 33 pp. (2.7Mb pdf file).

Tolman, H. L., 2002c: Alleviating the Garden Sprinkler Effect in wind wave models. Ocean Modelling, 4, 269-289.

Tolman, H.L. 2002d: Limiters in third-generation wind wave models. Global Atmosphere and Ocean. System, 8, 67-83.

Tolman, H. L., 2002f: Testing of WAVEWATCH III version 2.22 in NCEP's NWW3 ocean wave model suite. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / OMB Technical Note Nr. 214, 99 pp. (13 Mb pdf file in color or gresyscales).

Tolman, H. L., 2002g: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH-III version 2.22. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 222, 133 pp. (0.89Mb pdf file).

Tolman, H. L., 2003: Treatment of unresolved islands and ice in wind wave models. Ocean Modelling, 5, 219-231.

Tolman, H. L., 2006: Development of a multi-grid version of WAVEWATCH III. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 256, 88 pp.+ Appendices.

Tolman, H. L., 2008: A mosaic approach to wind wave modeling. Ocean Modelling, 25, 35-47.

Tolman, H. L., 2009: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH III version 3.14. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 276, 194 pp.+ Appendices (0.83Mb pdf file).

Tolman, H. L., 2014: User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH III version 4.18. NOAA / NWS / NCEP / MMAB Technical Note 316, 194 pp.+ Appendices (pdf).

Tolman, H. L., and J. H, G, M. Alves, 2005: Numerical modeling of wind waves generated by tropical cyclones using moving grids. Ocean Modelling, 9, 305-323.

Tolman, H. L., B. Balasubramaniyan, L. D. Burroughs, D. V. Chalikov, Y. Y. Chao, H. S. Chen, and V. M. Gerald, 2002: Development and implementation of wind generated ocean surface wave models at NCEP. Weather and Forecasting, 17, 311-333.

Tolman, H. L., and N. Booij, 1998: Modeling wind waves using wavenumber-direction spectra and a variable wavenumber grid. The Global Atmosphere and Ocean System, 6, 295-309.

Tolman, H. L. and D. Chalikov, 1996: Source terms in a third-generation wind-wave model. J. Phys. Oceanogr, 26, 2497-2518.

Vincent, L. and P. Soille, 1991: Watersheds in digital spaces: An efficient algorithm based on immersion simulations. IEEE Transactions of Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 13, 583-598.

WAMDIG 1988: The WAM model - A third generation ocean wave prediction model. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 18, 1775-1810.