Decadal wave reconstruction in the Mediterranean Sea with graph neural networks
ID:1286
Poster Presentation
2027-01-15 17:15 (China Standard Time)
Session:Session 44 - Digital Twins of the Ocean: From Observations and Models to Decision Ready Science
Abstract
Accurate simulation and prediction of ocean waves are essential for coastal risk management and climate studies. Deep learning has shown promising results for wave modeling, but most approaches still operate on regular grids and on forecasting time scales, and do not generalize to unstructured discretization or to long time horizons. Here we present WaveGraph, a model based on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) that emulates basin-scale wave dynamics directly on unstructured meshes with high resolution along the coasts (up to 2-3 km). Trained on bias-corrected simulation data over the Mediterranean Sea, WaveGraph uses a multiscale architecture combining the unstructured model mesh with a uniform graph, allowing simultaneous representation of local coastal interactions and large-scale wave dynamics. The model reconstructs the evolution of significant wave height, mean period, and mean direction, and is applied autoregressively for a continuous 17-year period without reinitialization or drift. Validation against buoy and satellite observations shows skill comparable to the input data set, and ablation experiments indicate that wind forcing drives most of the long-term stability while wave history improves swell-driven and basin-scale dynamics. These results show that GNNs can provide stable and efficient emulators of spectral wave models on unstructured domains, enabling decadal wave reconstructions.
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Important Dates
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Jan 30
2026
Session / Event proposals open
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Mar 31
2026
Session / Event proposals close
(Extended to April 7) -
Apr 30
2026
Session acceptance notifications
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Apr 30
2026
Abstract submissions & registration open
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Jun 30
2026
Abstract submissions close
(Extended to July 21) -
Aug 31
2026
Abstract acceptance notifications
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Sep 15
2026
Scientific program released
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Oct 15
2026
Early bird registration closes
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Jan 12–15
2027
XMAS 2027
