Global increase in tropical cyclone ocean surface waves

Global increase in tropical cyclone ocean surface waves

03 January 2024 | Jian Shi, Xiangbo Feng, Ralf Toumi, Chi Zhang, Kevin I. Hodges, Aifeng Tao, Wei Zhang & Jinhai Zheng
The study examines the long-term changes in ocean surface waves associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) from 1979 to 2022 using the ERA5 wave reanalysis. The maximum height and area of the TC wave footprint have increased globally by about 3% and 6% per decade, respectively. The energy transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean by TCs has increased by about 9% per decade, three times the rate of all-wave energy changes. These increases are primarily driven by the growing area of the wave footprint. The findings suggest that wave hazard associated with TCs has significantly increased, outpacing the changes in maximum wind speed. This highlights the need to consider wave hazards in future climate projections. The study also finds that the trends in TC wave metrics are larger than those in TC surface maximum winds, indicating that other factors, such as changes in TC translation speed and nonlinear wind-wave interactions, may play a significant role. The validation of ERA5 wave reanalysis against in-situ buoys and satellite altimeters shows good agreement, supporting the reliability of the data for analyzing TC-associated waves.The study examines the long-term changes in ocean surface waves associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) from 1979 to 2022 using the ERA5 wave reanalysis. The maximum height and area of the TC wave footprint have increased globally by about 3% and 6% per decade, respectively. The energy transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean by TCs has increased by about 9% per decade, three times the rate of all-wave energy changes. These increases are primarily driven by the growing area of the wave footprint. The findings suggest that wave hazard associated with TCs has significantly increased, outpacing the changes in maximum wind speed. This highlights the need to consider wave hazards in future climate projections. The study also finds that the trends in TC wave metrics are larger than those in TC surface maximum winds, indicating that other factors, such as changes in TC translation speed and nonlinear wind-wave interactions, may play a significant role. The validation of ERA5 wave reanalysis against in-situ buoys and satellite altimeters shows good agreement, supporting the reliability of the data for analyzing TC-associated waves.
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