@article{56,
  author = {Biao Zhao and Erik Sahl{\'e}e and Jianting Du and Lichuan Wu},
  title = {A Subgrid-Scale Parameterization of wave-structure interactions for Spectral Wave Models: Idealized Simulations in Offshore Wind Farm Conditions},
  abstract = {<p>Extensive offshore renewable energy installations have raised concerns about their environmental impacts. These concerns highlight the need for high fidelity modeling of conditions within wind-farm regions, where wave{\textendash}structure interactions through reflection, diffraction, and dissipation reshape local and regional wave dynamics, thereby influencing energy conversion efficiency and altering surrounding hydrodynamic conditions. However, accurately representing these wave{\textendash}structure interactions remains a major challenge for wave models, which often oversimplify turbines as energy sinks and thus introduce nonphysical dissipation. This study develops a new parameterization to represent distinct regimes of wave-structure interactions according to the ratio of wavelength to structural size. When wave and structure scales are comparable, wave scattering dominates and is represented as an energy-conserving source term based on diffraction theory, allowing for directional redistribution of wave energy. Drag-induced dissipation dominates for cases where the wavelength greatly exceeds the structural scale and is parameterized by a dissipative source term. Both regimes are formulated within a unified framework and implemented in the wave spectral model, WAVEWATCH III. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed parameterization improves the physical realism of wave{\textendash}structure interactions. The modeled wave field exhibits a strong dependence on wave{\textendash}structure scale ratio and a distinct spatial pattern in significant wave height, with amplification upstream of the farm and attenuation downstream. These findings offer a physics-based solution, supporting future offshore renewable energy development and improving the understanding of its impacts on the marine environment.</p>},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
  volume = {18},
  month = {02/2026},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025MS005603},
  doi = {10.1029/2025MS005603},
}