QuickSCAT observations of extreme wind events over the Mediterranean and Black Seas during 2000-2008

Abstract Numerous incidents of structural damage at the U.S. Antarctic Program’s (USAP) McMurdo Station due to extreme wind events (EWEs) have been reported over the past decade. Utilizing nearly 20 yr (~1992–2013) of University of Wisconsin automatic weather station (AWS) data from three different stations in the Ross Island region (Pegasus North, Pegasus South, and Willie Field), statistical analysis shows no significant trends in EWE frequency, intensity, or duration. EWEs more frequently occur during the transition seasons. To assess the dynamical environment of these EWEs, Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) forecast back trajectories are computed and analyzed in conjunction with several other AMPS fields for the strongest events at McMurdo Station. The synoptic analysis reveals that McMurdo Station EWEs are nearly always associated with strong southerly flow due to an approaching Ross Sea cyclone and an upper-level trough around Cape Adare. A Ross Ice Shelf air stream (RAS) environment is created with enhanced barrier winds along the Transantarctic Mountains, downslope winds in the lee of the glaciers and local topography, and a tip jet effect around Ross Island. The position and intensity of these Ross Sea cyclones are most influenced by the occurrence of a central Pacific ENSO event, which causes the upper-level trough to move westward. An approaching surface cyclone would then be in position to trigger an event, depending on how the wind direction and speed impinges on the complex topography around McMurdo Station.

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Meteorology and Climatology of the Mediterranean and Black Seas: Introduction

Pure and Applied Geophysics ◽

10.1007/s00024-018-2021-8 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 175 (11) ◽

pp. 3721-3725 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ivica Vilibić ◽

Kristian Horvath ◽

Jose Luis Palau

Keyword(s):

The Mediterranean ◽

Mediterranean And Black Seas

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Cetacean conservation in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: Fostering transboundary collaboration through the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Marine Policy ◽

10.1016/j.marpol.2017.05.012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 82 ◽

pp. 98-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Matthieu Authier ◽

Florence Descroix Commanducci ◽

Tilen Genov ◽

Draško Holcer ◽

Vincent Ridoux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marine Strategy Framework Directive ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Mediterranean And Black Seas

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Extreme winds in a WRF downscaling for the SAM-22 CORDEX domain for the 1979-2018 Historical Period

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10363 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Pillar da Silva ◽

Rosmeri Porfírio da Rocha ◽

Natália Machado Crespo ◽

Ricardo de Camargo ◽

Jose Antonio Moreira Lima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wind Speed ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Offshore Structures ◽

Horizontal Resolution ◽

Historical Period ◽

Climate Projections ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Extreme Wind ◽

Wind Events ◽

Extreme Winds

<p>This study aims to evaluate how extreme winds (above the 95th percentile) are represented in a downscaling using the regional model WRF over the CORDEX South American domain in an approximate 25 km (0.22 degrees) horizontal resolution, along with CFSR as input. The main focus of the analysis resides over the coastal Brazilian region, given a large number of offshore structures from oil and gas industries subject to impact by severe events. Model results are compared with a reanalysis product (ERA5), &#160;estimates from satellites product (Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform Wind Speed), and available buoy data (Brazilian National Buoy Project). Downscaling results from WRF show an underestimation of maximum and extreme wind speeds over the region when compared to all references, along with overestimation in the continental areas. This directly impacts results for extreme value estimation for a larger return period and severity evaluation of extreme wind events in future climate projections. To address this, a correction procedure based on the linear relationship between severe wind from satellite and model results is applied. After linearly corrected, the extreme and maximum wind speed values increase and errors in the representation of severe events are reduced in the downscaling results.</p>

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The Mediterranean and Black Seas

The GeoJournal Library - The Oceans: Key Issues in Marine Affairs ◽

10.1007/978-1-4020-2780-2_13 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 231-252

Author(s):

A. Vallega

Keyword(s):

The Mediterranean ◽

Mediterranean And Black Seas

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Cyclones causing wind storms in the Mediterranean: characteristics, trends and links to large-scale patterns

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-10-1379-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1379-1391 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

K. M. Nissen ◽

G. C. Leckebusch ◽

J. G. Pinto ◽

D. Renggli ◽

S. Ulbrich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic Oscillation ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Positive Phase ◽

East Atlantic ◽

The North ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

Wind Storms ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Wind Events ◽

The North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract. A climatology of cyclones with a focus on their relation to wind storm tracks in the Mediterranean region (MR) is presented. Trends in the frequency of cyclones and wind storms, as well as variations associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the East Atlantic/West Russian (EAWR) and the Scandinavian variability pattern (SCAND) are discussed. The study is based on the ERA40 reanalysis dataset. Wind storm tracks are identified by tracking clusters of adjacent grid boxes characterised by extremely high local wind speeds. The wind track is assigned to a cyclone track independently identified with an objective scheme. Areas with high wind activity – quantified by extreme wind tracks – are typically located south of the Golf of Genoa, south of Cyprus, southeast of Sicily and west of the Iberian Peninsula. About 69% of the wind storms are caused by cyclones located in the Mediterranean region, while the remaining 31% can be attributed to North Atlantic or Northern European cyclones. The North Atlantic Oscillation, the East Atlantic/West Russian pattern and the Scandinavian pattern all influence the amount and spatial distribution of wind inducing cyclones and wind events in the MR. The strongest signals exist for the NAO and the EAWR pattern, which are both associated with an increase in the number of organised strong wind events in the eastern MR during their positive phase. On the other hand, the storm numbers decrease over the western MR for the positive phase of the NAO and over the central MR during the positive phase of the EAWR pattern. The positive phase of the Scandinavian pattern is associated with a decrease in the number of winter wind storms over most of the MR. A third of the trends in the number of wind storms and wind producing cyclones during the winter season of the ERA40 period may be attributed to the variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation.

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