WIND, WAVES GET BIGGER

Wind and waves growing across the globe
25 March 2011 (Swinburne University of Technology)

"Oceanic wind speeds and wave heights have increased significantly over the last quarter of a century according to a major new study undertaken by Australian researchers…the most comprehensive of its kind ever undertaken…

"Studies of climate change typically consider measurements or predictions of temperature over extended periods of time…[T]his study examined global changes of oceanic wind speed and wave height, which are also important environmental indicators."

click to enlarge

"It was authored by former Swinburne University Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young…and Swinburne oceanographers Professor Alex Babanin and Dr Stefan Zieger...[They] analysed satellite data over a 23 year period from 1985 to 2008…The data showed that wind speeds over the majority of the world’s oceans increased by 0.25 to 0.5 per cent every year. For extremely high winds, speed increased by a yearly average of 0.75 per cent."

click to enlarge

"The global increase in wave height was most significant for extreme waves, with the largest one per cent increasing by an average of 0.5 per cent every year…[I]n some parts of the ocean, extreme waves increased by up to one per cent per annum…

"…[T]he researchers’ access to satellite data…enabled them to conduct such a comprehensive study…[Previous] oceanic wind speed and wave height [studies] have relied on [regionally limiting] visual observations, point measurements or numerical modeling…"