Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses
Abstract The analysis of extreme wave conditions is crucial for understanding and mitigating coastal hazards. As global wave reanalyses allow to extend the evaluation of wave conditions to periods and locations not covered by in-situ measurements, their direct use is common. However, in coastal area...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00819-0 |
| _version_ | 1827952555472191488 |
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| author | Valeria Fanti Óscar Ferreira Vincent Kümmerer Carlos Loureiro |
| author_facet | Valeria Fanti Óscar Ferreira Vincent Kümmerer Carlos Loureiro |
| author_sort | Valeria Fanti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The analysis of extreme wave conditions is crucial for understanding and mitigating coastal hazards. As global wave reanalyses allow to extend the evaluation of wave conditions to periods and locations not covered by in-situ measurements, their direct use is common. However, in coastal areas, the accuracy of global reanalyses is lower, particularly for extreme waves. Here we compare two leading global wave reanalyses against 326 coastal buoys, demonstrating that both reanalyses consistently underestimate significant wave height, 50-year return period and mean wave period in most coastal locations around the world. Different calibration methods applied to improve the modelled extreme waves, resulting in a 53% reduction in the underestimation of extreme wave heights. Importantly, the 50-year return period for significant wave height is improved on average by 55%. Extreme wave statistics determined for coastal areas directly from global wave reanalyses require careful consideration, with calibration largely reducing uncertainty and improving confidence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:59:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f29744e5c7f442c8a58078aa33780801 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:59:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-f29744e5c7f442c8a58078aa337808012023-05-07T11:25:09ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352023-05-014111110.1038/s43247-023-00819-0Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalysesValeria Fanti0Óscar Ferreira1Vincent Kümmerer2Carlos Loureiro3Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA/ARNET), Universidade do AlgarveCentre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA/ARNET), Universidade do AlgarveCentre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA/ARNET), Universidade do AlgarveCentre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA/ARNET), Universidade do AlgarveAbstract The analysis of extreme wave conditions is crucial for understanding and mitigating coastal hazards. As global wave reanalyses allow to extend the evaluation of wave conditions to periods and locations not covered by in-situ measurements, their direct use is common. However, in coastal areas, the accuracy of global reanalyses is lower, particularly for extreme waves. Here we compare two leading global wave reanalyses against 326 coastal buoys, demonstrating that both reanalyses consistently underestimate significant wave height, 50-year return period and mean wave period in most coastal locations around the world. Different calibration methods applied to improve the modelled extreme waves, resulting in a 53% reduction in the underestimation of extreme wave heights. Importantly, the 50-year return period for significant wave height is improved on average by 55%. Extreme wave statistics determined for coastal areas directly from global wave reanalyses require careful consideration, with calibration largely reducing uncertainty and improving confidence.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00819-0 |
| spellingShingle | Valeria Fanti Óscar Ferreira Vincent Kümmerer Carlos Loureiro Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| title_full | Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| title_fullStr | Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| title_short | Improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| title_sort | improved estimates of extreme wave conditions in coastal areas from calibrated global reanalyses |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00819-0 |
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