Abstract
The modelling of coastal Directional Wave Spectra (DWSs) often requires
downscaling techniques integrating DWSs from open ocean boundaries.
Dynamic downscaling methods reliant on numerical wave models are often
computationally expensive. In coastal areas, wave dynamics are strongly
influenced by the topography, implying that once the DWSs at the open
ocean boundary are known, the DWSs at various locations along the coast
are almost determined. This property can be utilized for statistical
downscaling of coastal DWSs. This study presents a deep learning
approach that can compute coastal DWSs from open ocean DWSs. The
performance of the proposed downscaling model was evaluated using both
numerical wave model data and buoy data in the Southern California
Bight. The results show that the deep learning approach can effectively
and efficiently downscale coastal DWSs without relying on any predefined
spectral shapes, thereby holding promise for coastal wave climate
studies.