@article{3017517,
    title = "Assimilation of radar altimeter data in numerical wave models: An impact study in two different wave climate regions",
    author = "Emmanouil, G. and Galanis, G. and Kallos, G. and Breivik, L.A. and Heiberg, H. and Reistad, M.",
    journal = "Annales geophysicae",
    year = "2007",
    volume = "25",
    number = "3",
    pages = "581-595",
    publisher = "European Geosciences Union (EGU)",
    issn = "0755-0685",
    doi = "10.5194/angeo-25-581-2007",
    keywords = "air-sea interaction;  data assimilation;  forecasting method;  numerical model;  radar altimetry;  satellite data;  wave climate;  wave height, Indian Ocean;  Mediterranean Sea",
    abstract = "An operational assimilation system incorporating significant wave height observations in high resolution numerical wave models is studied and evaluated. In particular, altimeter satellite data provided by the European Space Agency (ESA-ENVISAT) are assimilated in the wave model WAM which operates in two different wave climate areas: the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first is a wind-sea dominated area while in the second, swell is the principal part of the sea state, a fact that seriously affects the performance of the assimilation scheme. A detailed study of the different impact is presented and the resulting forecasts are evaluated against available buoy and satellite observations. The corresponding results show a considerable improvement in wave forecasting for the Indian Ocean while in the Mediterranean Sea the assimilation impact is restricted to isolated areas."
}