Climate Changes of Wind Waves in the North Atlantic Over the Last Several Decades

摘要

On the basis of visual wave observations available from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) we consider secular tendencies during 1963-1993 in the height of wind sea and swell of different directions in the North Atlantic mid latitudes. Analysis shows that growing swell in the North East Atlantic does not result from the swell propagating from the Central Atlantic where it is associated with increasing wind sea. Possible alternative mechanisms of growing swell are discussed.