Determination of current circulation and wave characteristic from regional ocean model (masnun) near Pulau Tioman

Abstract

Pulau Tioman is located in the South China Sea and influenced by monsoon seasons: northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon. The seasonal wind monsoons have a major impact on the wave height and current circulation in the South China Sea including the Pulau Tioman. This project investigates the wave characteristic and current circulation around the Pulau Tioman water. The data from MASNUM model were used to simulate wave height and current circulation around the Pulau Tioman water for the period from November 2014 to October 2015. The model was validated against limited available in-situ data from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis wind data was used to identify the wind pattern over the water near Pulau Tioman. The simulation results were used to determine the changes of seasonal winds (northeast monsoon and southwest monsoon) on wave characteristics and current circulation during transition period around the Pulau Tioman. April and October represented as the transition period in this project.