A modeling study of the impact of major storms on waves, surface and near-bed currents on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland

Waves and current processes, both surface and near-bed were simulated for major storms on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland using integrated wave, 3-D tidal and ocean current models. Most storms track southwest to northeast and pass to the north or northwest of the Grand Banks. Significant wave heights can reach up to ∼14 m and are predominantly to the northeast at the peak of storms. Extreme surface currents reach approximately 1 m s−1 and are largely to the southeast. The strongest bottom currents, up to 0.8 m s−1, occur on St. Pierre Bank and are dominantly to the south and southeast. While wave height and wind-driven current generally increase with wind speed, factors such as storm paths, the relative location of the storm center at the storm peak, and storm translation speed also affect waves and currents. Surface and near-bed wind-driven currents both rotate clockwise and decrease in strength as the storm traverses the Grand Banks. While the spatial variability of the storm impact on surface currents is relatively small, bottom currents show significant spatial variation of magnitude and direction as well as timing of peak current conditions. These spatial variations are controlled by the changes of bathymetry and mixed layer depth over the model domain. The storm-generated currents can be 7 to 10 times stronger than the background mean currents. These strong currents interact with wave oscillatory flows to produce shear velocities up to 15 cm s−1 and cause wide occurrences of strong sediment transport over nearly the entire Grand Banks.