Numerical study on spatio-temporal distribution of cold front-induced waves along the southeastern coast of China

Cold fronts, as one of the most frequent extreme weather events, can induce significant waves on the sea. This work analyzes the spatial and temporal variations in cold front events, especially the characteristics of wind directions during cold fronts in the East China Sea (ECS). The SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore) model is applied to simulating the waves induced by cold fronts. To calibrate the model, two typical cold front events were selected to simulate the corresponding waves in the ECS. The results indicate that the data misfit between the observed and modeled significant wave heights (SWH) is within a reasonable range. Idealized sensitivity experiments were then designed in order to analyze and discuss the responses of ocean waves to wind direction, swell distribution, maximum of significant wave heights (MSWH), and time lag during the cold fronts. The results show that the average MSWH in the ECS decreases monotonically with the deflection of wind direction from north-east to north-west, while specific nearshore sites do not conform to this pattern due to topography. The time series of SWH indicate that the action of the swells leads to a prolongation of the duration of catastrophic waves. This work investigates the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of cold front-induced wind wave fields in offshore Zhejiang, which has important value for the study of the impact of cold fronts on the ocean as well as disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.