EVALUATION OF THE WAVE CLIMATE IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC THROUGH THE WAVE POWER RESOURCES

G. V. Matushevskii

Recent studies of the wave climate have initially led to the conclusion that the wave height, at least in the North Atlantic, has increased considerably (mainly due to swell). The WASA Project has been used as the basis for the analysis of this environmental phenomenon. The fact that the wave climate is changing unambiguously and over the entire water area under question is not confirmed. As an integral indicator of the wave climate the author applies the annual wave power (specific wave energy flow) calculated by a special bulk-formula. The analysis of the time series (for the weather ship India) through an appropriate statistical test has shown a lack of any trend in this characteristic.