Does the wind seem to blowing harder and the waves growing ever higher? Perhaps they are after all. A new study finds that wind speeds and wave heights have been rising significantly over the last two decades.
Study finds oceanic wind speed and wave height increasing
Oceanic wind speeds and wave heights have increased significantly over the last quarter of a century according to a major new study undertaken by ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young. Published in Science, the study is the most comprehensive of its kind ever undertaken. Other authors include Swinburne University oceanographers Professor Alex Babanin and Dr Stefan Zieger.
“Careful analysis of satellite data shows that extreme oceanic wind speeds and ocean wave heights have increased dramatically over the last 23 years,” Professor Young said.
“Extreme wind speeds have increased over most of the globe by approximately 10 per cent over the last 20 years, or 0.5 per cent every year.
“Extreme wave heights have increased by an average of seven per cent over the last 20 years, or 0.25 per cent a year in equatorial regions and 0.5 per cent a year in higher latitudes.
“The results have potential impact on the design of coastal buildings and other structures as well as shipping. They could also have a profound effect on the transfer of energy (heat) between the sea and the atmosphere – one of the great unknowns of climate change.
“Using recently developed satellite data allowed us to investigate trends on a global scale for the first time. This has really given us a much clearer picture of what is happening in the world’s oceans.”
The study looked at satellite data over 23 years from 1985 to 2008, and was funded under an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, with sponsorship from MetOcean Engineers.
Maybe or maybe it is more accurate data from the instrumentation. Having done weather reports every 6 hours at sea for some 30 years in volunteer weather observing ships some 90% of which was ‘guesstimation’. Now the data reading is much more precise and this could be the reason that wind speed and wave heights appear to be increasing by being read much more accurately.
Good Watch.
That may be. On the other hand the study looked at satellite data over 23 years from 1985 to 2008. If the data was comparable over the 23 year period, their conclusions are interesting. If the quality of the data has not been constant, then, you are right, the results could be an anomaly.
I wonder what satellites they used to gather this data. I agree with rick about the potential for anomalous data. But interesting nonetheless.
JR
Well at my age 1985 is yesterday and 23 years not that long ago!! My first sea report was done in 1954 and before that I used to read the wind speed and take wet & dry tempertures to figure the dewpoint (even in rainy Ireland!)at the RNLI boathouse and Harbourmasters office in our village during summer holidays. Following Rick’s thoughts the data should be run from the 1940’s right up to date. This would likely clear up an anomalous results. On another point one should really run the data from all the other countries as they too had volunteer weather observers ashore and afloat.
Good Watch.