Quantifying Tropical Cyclone-Generated Waves in Extreme-Value-Derived Design for Offshore Wind

Abstract. Wave extreme values, such as significant wave height, peak period, and crest height, are central to design and operation practices for offshore wind structures. However, the most suitable methods for deriving these extremes, both statistically and from numerical models, is not straightforward. This is especially acute in mixed-type climates, as in the Atlantic coast of the US, where tropical cyclones (hurricanes) and extra-tropical cyclones (winter storms) occur at the same locations with varying frequency and intensity. Limited guidance is provided in major offshore wind energy standards for the minimum requirements of these ocean models and methods used for determining accurate design and operational metocean conditions for regions with tropical cyclones and mixed-type environments. This study investigates the representation of extreme significant wave heights on the US Atlantic coast generated by mixed storm types, as represented in numerical simulations and univariate extreme value analysis. Notable differences between N-year design values are found, as projected by the two different modeled conditions with both block maxima and peaks-over-threshold methods. Attributing factors include hindcast duration, proximity of design location to historical track storm centers, and single analysis of mixed-type distributions. This paper is the first of its kind to propose a methodology for defining extreme significant wave heights due to tropical cyclones for offshore wind design and operation in Mid- and North-Atlantic waters. Recommendations for achieving accurate and representative extreme values for offshore design on the US Atlantic coast are provided.