Evolution of the Extreme Wave Region in the North Atlantic Using a 23 Year Hindcast

The IOWAGA data base for the North Atlantic region was used to identify the region where extreme values of significant wave height are more likely to occur. The IOWAGA database [1] was obtained from the WAVEWATCH III model [2] hindcast using the CFSR (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis) from NOAA [3,4]. The period of the study covers 1990 up to 2012 (23 years). The variability of the significant wave height was assessed by computing return periods for sea storms where the significant wave height exceeds a given threshold. The return periods of sea storms where the Hs exceeds extreme values for the north Atlantic region were computed allowing for the identification of the extreme wave regions which show that extreme waves are more likely to occur in the storm track regions of the tropical and extratropical north Atlantic cyclones.Copyright © 2015 by ASME