Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017

Abstract A 69‐year (1948–2017) numerical weather and wave hindcast is used to investigate the interannual variability and trend of winter wave height along the west coast of Europe. Results show that the winter‐mean wave height, variability, and periodicity all increased significantly in the northea...

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Main Authors: Bruno Castelle, Guillaume Dodet, Gerhard Masselink, Tim Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-04-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076884
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author Bruno Castelle
Guillaume Dodet
Gerhard Masselink
Tim Scott
author_facet Bruno Castelle
Guillaume Dodet
Gerhard Masselink
Tim Scott
author_sort Bruno Castelle
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A 69‐year (1948–2017) numerical weather and wave hindcast is used to investigate the interannual variability and trend of winter wave height along the west coast of Europe. Results show that the winter‐mean wave height, variability, and periodicity all increased significantly in the northeast Atlantic over the last seven decades which primarily correlate with changes in the climate indices North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and West Europe Pressure Anomaly (WEPA) affecting atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic. NAO and WEPA primarily explain the increase in winter‐mean wave height and periodicity, respectively, while both WEPA and NAO explain the increase in interannual variability. This increase in trend, variability, and periodicity resulted in more frequent high‐energy winters with high NAO and/or WEPA over the last decades. The ability of climate models to predict the winter NAO and WEPA indices a few months ahead will be crucial to anticipate coastal hazards in this region.
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spelling doaj-art-088ee1c33a1d445dbea02b189cc5b6222025-08-20T02:25:28ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-04-014583586359610.1002/2017GL076884Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017Bruno Castelle0Guillaume Dodet1Gerhard Masselink2Tim Scott3CNRS, UMR EPOC Paris FranceLETG‐Brest Geomer UMR 6554 CNRS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (UBO) Plouzane FranceCoastal Processes Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences Plymouth University Plymouth UKCoastal Processes Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences Plymouth University Plymouth UKAbstract A 69‐year (1948–2017) numerical weather and wave hindcast is used to investigate the interannual variability and trend of winter wave height along the west coast of Europe. Results show that the winter‐mean wave height, variability, and periodicity all increased significantly in the northeast Atlantic over the last seven decades which primarily correlate with changes in the climate indices North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and West Europe Pressure Anomaly (WEPA) affecting atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic. NAO and WEPA primarily explain the increase in winter‐mean wave height and periodicity, respectively, while both WEPA and NAO explain the increase in interannual variability. This increase in trend, variability, and periodicity resulted in more frequent high‐energy winters with high NAO and/or WEPA over the last decades. The ability of climate models to predict the winter NAO and WEPA indices a few months ahead will be crucial to anticipate coastal hazards in this region.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076884coastal hazardextreme wavesclimate variabilitytrendperiodicityNorth Atlantic
spellingShingle Bruno Castelle
Guillaume Dodet
Gerhard Masselink
Tim Scott
Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
Geophysical Research Letters
coastal hazard
extreme waves
climate variability
trend
periodicity
North Atlantic
title Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
title_full Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
title_fullStr Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
title_full_unstemmed Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
title_short Increased Winter‐Mean Wave Height, Variability, and Periodicity in the Northeast Atlantic Over 1949–2017
title_sort increased winter mean wave height variability and periodicity in the northeast atlantic over 1949 2017
topic coastal hazard
extreme waves
climate variability
trend
periodicity
North Atlantic
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076884
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AT timscott increasedwintermeanwaveheightvariabilityandperiodicityinthenortheastatlanticover19492017