Long-Term Trends of Extreme Waves Based on Observations from Five Stations in China

Abstract

Extreme waves may considerably impact crucial coastal and marine engineering structures. The First Scientific Assessment Report on Ocean and Climate Change of China and The Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change of China were published in 2020 and 2022, respectively. However, no concrete results on the long-term trends in wave changes in China have been obtained. In this study, long-term trends in extreme wave elements over the past 55 years were investigated using wave data from five in situ observation sites (i.e., Lao Hu Tan, Cheng Shan Tou, Ri Zhao, Nan Ji, Wei Zhou) along the coast of China. The five stations showed different trends in wave height. Results show a general downward trend in wave heights at the LHT and CST stations, reaching −0.78 and −1.44 cm/a, respectively, in summer at middle and high latitudes. NJI stations at middle-to-low latitudes are influenced by the winter monsoon and summer tropical cyclones, showing a substantial increase in extreme wave heights (0.7 cm/a in winter and 2.68 cm/a in summer). The cumulative duration of H_1/10 ⩾ 3 m at NJI and RZH has grown since 1990.

Keywords

Maximum wave height / Long-term trend / Wave climate seasonal variability / Extreme wave / Generalized extreme value

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