Global Trends in Oceanic Wind Speed and Wave Height

This project aims to determine whether there have been statistically significant trends in oceanic wind speed and wave height over the past 30 years by developing a comprehensive database of all available in situ, satellite and model data. There is evidence that wind speed, and possibly wave height, has globally increased over the past 25 years. If this is confirmed, then it is fundamentally important for our understanding of air-sea interaction, evaporation, ocean mixing and the design and operation of coastal and offshore facilities. This project will confirm whether observed changes in wind speed and wave height are long term trends or multi-decadal oscillations and how such trends are related.