scholarly journals Characteristics of the Wind and Wave Climate along the European Seas Focusing on the Main Maritime Routes

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Chirosca ◽  
Liliana Rusu
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Sea State ◽  
Reanalysis Dataset ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Economic Role ◽  
Maritime Traffic ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
European Seas

European seas have a strong economic role both in terms of transport and tourism. Providing more knowledge, regarding the mean and extreme values of the wind and sea state conditions in the areas characterized by high maritime traffic, helps to improve navigational safety. From this perspective, six zones with high maritime traffic are studied. ERA5 database, a state-of-the-art global reanalysis dataset provided by ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), is used to assess the average values and the percentiles for the wind speed and the main wave parameters in the target areas considering the period 2001–2020. The main European routes and the extreme conditions along them as well as the areas characterized by high values of wind speed and high waves were also identified. A more comprehensive picture of the expected dynamics of the environmental matrix along the most significant shipping routes is useful because in this way the most dangerous areas could be avoided by ships for the safety of passengers and transported goods.

Development and Application of a Global Satellite Database of Wind and Wave Conditions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. R. Young ◽  
S. Zieger ◽  
A. V. Babanin
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Extreme Value Statistics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Individual Calibration

Oceanographic satellites have now been in operation for almost 30 years, collecting global data on oceanic winds and waves. During this period, a variety of satellites have been operational. These include altimeters (wind speed and wave height), SSMI radiometers (wind speed), scatterometers (wind speed and direction) and Synthetic Aperture Radar, SAR (full directional wave spectrum). Data from these instruments potentially represents an invaluable resource for offshore engineering design and facilities operation. This paper describes the development of a unique database containing data from all these instruments over their full periods of operation. The paper will describe the calibration and cross-validation of all instruments. This analysis shows the limitations of individual instruments and the relative accuracies. Instruments are calibrated against a very comprehensive buoy data set from the United States, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. The extensive buoy dataset means that it is possible to have individual calibration buoys and independent validation sites. Further validation is provided by examining cross-over points between different satellite instruments where they image the same region of ocean at the same time. The paper will also demonstrate the application of this database. These applications include the evaluation of seasonal wind and wave climate on a global scale, the determination of extreme value statistics (100 year return values) for wind speed and wave height, long term trends in wind speed and wave height and potential trends in extreme values.

Evaluation of altimeter undersampling in estimating global wind and wave climate using virtual observation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoyu Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Along Track

<p>Altimeters can provide global long-duration observations of oceanic wind speed and wave height. However, altimeters face the undersampling problem in estimating wind and wave climate because of their sparse sampling pattern and the changing number of in-orbit satellites. In this study, the undersampling error of altimeters was studied by sampling the ERA5 oceanic wind speed and wave height data using the track information of multiplatform altimeters. Comparisons were made between the statistics (mean, 90<sup>th</sup> and 99<sup>th</sup> percentiles, and long-term trends of them) of the original ERA5 data and the gridded along-track sampling of the ERA5 data. The results show a large discrepancy with respect to the extreme values (90<sup>th</sup> and 99<sup>th</sup> percentiles). The undersampling of altimeters can lead to significant underestimations of monthly extreme values of oceanic wind speed and wave height. Meanwhile, this underestimation is alleviated with the increase of the number of in-orbit altimeters, leading to very large overestimations of long-term trends of these extreme values over the period 1985-2018. In contrast, the annual extreme values of oceanic wind speed and wave height and their long-term trends are more reliable, although slight aforementioned biases of extreme values still exist and the data from GEOSAT are not suitable for computing annual statistics. For altimeter data, the annual values are a better option to compute long-term trends than the monthly data. This study also presents a correction scheme of using model data to compensate for the wind and wave events missed by altimeter tracks. After the correction, the global trends in oceanic wind speed and wave height over 1992-2017 are recomputed using annual statistics. The results show a clear discrepancy between the trends of wind speed and wave height during this period: the wind speed increased, while the wave height decreased. However, the reason for this discrepancy is unknown at this stage.</p>

WAVE CLIMATE OF THE BLACK SEA’S COASTAL WATERS DURING THE LAST THREE DECADES

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fedor Gippius ◽  
Fedor Gippius ◽  
Stanislav Myslenkov ◽  
Stanislav Myslenkov ◽  
Elena Stoliarova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Wind Wave ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Wave Model ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Computational Grid ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Wave Parameters

This study is focused on the alterations and typical features of the wind wave climate of the Black Sea’s coastal waters since 1979 till nowadays. Wind wave parameters were calculated by means of the 3rd-generation numerical spectral wind wave model SWAN, which is widely used on various spatial scales – both coastal waters and open seas. Data on wind speed and direction from the NCEP CFSR reanalysis were used as forcing. The computations were performed on an unstructured computational grid with cell size depending on the distance from the shoreline. Modeling results were applied to evaluate the main characteristics of the wind wave in various coastal areas of the sea.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Wind and Wave Statistics and Extreme Values for Design and Analysis of Marine Structures in the Adriatic Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 522
Author(s):  
Marko Katalinić ◽  
Joško Parunov
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Offshore Structures ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
Significant Wave ◽  
Wave Statistics ◽  
Wave Heights ◽  
Almost All

Wind and waves present the main causes of environmental loading on seagoing ships and offshore structures. Thus, its detailed understanding can improve the design and maintenance of these structures. Wind and wave statistical models are developed based on the WorldWaves database for the Adriatic Sea: for the entire Adriatic Sea as a whole, divided into three regions and for 39 uniformly spaced locations across the offshore Adriatic. Model parameters are fitted and presented for each case, following the conditional modelling approach, i.e., the marginal distribution of significant wave height and conditional distribution of peak period and wind speed. Extreme significant wave heights were evaluated for 20-, 50- and 100-year return periods. The presented data provide a consistent and comprehensive description of metocean (wind and wave) climate in the Adriatic Sea that can serve as input for almost all kind of analyses of ships and offshore structures.

scholarly journals Storm Energy Flux Characterization along the Mediterranean Coast of Andalusia (Spain)

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Molina ◽  
Giorgio Manno ◽  
Carlo Lo Re ◽  
Giorgio Anfuso ◽  
Giuseppe Ciraolo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Flux ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Cumulative Energy ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Wave Energy Flux ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Storm Characteristics

This paper investigates wave climate and storm characteristics along the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, for the period 1979–2014, by means of the analysis of wave data on four prediction points obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Normally, to characterize storms, researchers use the so-called “power index”. In this paper, a different approach was adopted based on the assessment of the wave energy flux of each storm, using a robust definition of sea storm. During the investigated period, a total of 2961 storm events were recorded. They were classified by means of their associated energy flux into five classes, from low- (Class I) to high-energetic (Class V). Each point showed a different behavior in terms of energy, number, and duration of storms. Nine stormy years, i.e., years with a high cumulative energy, were recorded in 1980, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2013.

scholarly journals Storm Gloria: Sea State Evolution Based on in situ Measurements and Modeled Data and Its Impact on Extreme Values

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta de Alfonso ◽  
Jue Lin-Ye ◽  
José M. García-Valdecasas ◽  
Susana Pérez-Rubio ◽  
M. Yolanda Luna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Values ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Skill Score ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Sea State ◽  
Wave Forecast

Storm Gloria, generated on January 17th, 2020 in the Eastern North Atlantic, crossed the Iberian Peninsula and impacted the Western Mediterranean during the following days. The event produced relevant damages on the coast and the infrastructures at the Catalan-Balearic Sea, due to extraordinary wind and wave fields, concomitant with anomalously intense rain and ocean currents. Puertos del Estado (the Spanish holding of harbors) has developed and operates a complex monitoring and forecasting system (PORTUS System), in collaboration with the Spanish Met Office (AEMET). The present work shows how Gloria was correctly forecasted by this system, alerts were properly issued (with special focus to the ports), and the buoys were able to monitor the sea state conditions during the event, measuring several new records of significant wave height and exceptional high mean wave periods. The paper describes, in detail, the dynamic evolution of the atmospheric conditions, and the sea state during the storm. It is by means of the study of both in situ and modeled PORTUS data, in combination with the AEMET weather forecast system results. The analysis also serves to place this storm in a historical context, showing the exceptional nature of the event, and to identify the specific reasons why its impact was particularly severe. The work also demonstrates the relevance of the PORTUS System to warn, in advance, the main Spanish Ports. It prevents accidents that could result in fatal casualties. To do so, the wave forecast warning performance is analyzed, making special focus on the skill score for the different horizons. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how a storm of this nature results in the need of changes on the extreme wave analysis for the area. It impacts all sorts of design activities at the coastline. The paper studies both how this storm fits into existing extreme analysis and how these should be modified in the light of this particular single event. This work is the first of a series of papers to be published on this issue. They analyze, in detail, other aspects of the event, including evolution of sea level and description of coastal damages.

scholarly journals The wind and wave atlas of the Mediterranean Sea - the calibration phase

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 255-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Cavaleri
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Grid Point ◽  
Local Geometry ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Medium Range ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Calibration Coefficients

Abstract. Within the WW-Medatlas project, sponsored by the Italian, French and Greek Navies, an extensive atlas of the wind and wave conditions in the Mediterranean Sea has been completed. The atlas is based on the information derived from the archive of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, UK, then calibrated on the base of the data available from the ERS1-2 and Topex satellites. The calibration is required because the wind, hence the wave, data are normally strongly underestimated in the enclosed seas. The calibration has been done deriving the model values at each satellite position, typically at 7 km intervals. The co-located values have then been assigned to the closest grid point. This has provided a substantial number of couples of data at each point, then used to derive, by best-fitting technique, the correction required. This turns out to vary amply throughout the basin, according to the local geometry and orography. The calibration coefficients, different for wind and waves, have been used to correct the original fields and the time series at the single points. Using the calibrated data, extensive statistics have been derived, both as fields and at each point, including extreme values.

scholarly journals Abundant Precipitation in Qilian Mountains Generated from the Recycled Moisture over the Adjacent Arid Hexi Corridor, Northwest China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 3354
Author(s):  
Zhihua Zhang ◽  
Qiudong Zhao ◽  
Shiqiang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Precipitable Water ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Hexi Corridor ◽  
Qilian Mountains ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Reanalysis Dataset ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Endorheic Basin

The observed precipitation was suggestive of abundant precipitation in upstream Qilian mountains and low precipitation in the downstream oasis and desert in an endorheic basin. However, precipitation in mountains generated from the recycled moisture over oasis and desert areas has rarely been studied. The climatological patterns of water vapor from 1980 to 2017 in the Qilian Mountain Region (QMR) and Hexi Corridor Region (HCR) were investigated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim reanalysis dataset and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application, Version 2 reanalysis dataset. The results suggest that the precipitable water content decreases from the adjacent to the mountain areas. There are two channels that transport water vapor from the HCR to the QMR in the low troposphere (surface—600 hPa), suggesting that parts of recycled moisture generated from evapotranspiration over the oasis and desert of the HCR is transported to the QMR, contributing to the abundant precipitation in the QMR. This indicates that the transport mechanism is probably because of the “cold and wet island effect” of the cryosphere in QMR. This is likely one of the essential mechanisms of the water cycle in endorheic river basins, which has rarely been reported.

scholarly journals Control-Influenced Layout Optimization of Arrays of Wave Energy Converters

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Balitsky ◽  
Giorgio Bacelli ◽  
John V. Ringwood
Keyword(s):  
Wave Climate ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Optimal Layout ◽  
Wave Direction ◽  
Sea State ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Control Schemes ◽  
And Control ◽  
Tuning Scheme ◽  
Optimal Configurations

In this paper we compare the optimal configurations for an array of WECs given two control schemes, a real-time global control and a passive sea-state based tuning scheme. In a particular wave climate and array orientation with its axis normal to the prevailing wave direction, closely-spaced symmetrical arrays of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 cylinders of different radiative properties are simulated for varying inter-device separation distances. For each device and control type, we focus on the factors that influence the optimal layout, including number of devices, separating distance and angular spreading. The average annual power output is calculated for each optimal configuration.

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