INCREASE OF WAVE HEIGHT IN THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Abstract

We analyze annual variations and the long-term tendency of wave heights along the coast of Japan, based on observed data for more than 10 years. And we analyze the trend of wave heights over the last 10 years in the North Pacific with hindcast data. As a result of the analysis, the wave height has shown an increase trend at most stations along the Pacific coast of Japan. The average increase rate is 0.6cm/year. The estimated wave height by a wave model also shows an increased trend in the North Pacific Ocean. Since there is a correlation relation between 500hPa height anomaly at specific areas and the wave height anomaly at each station, an increase trend of wave height in the Northern Hemisphere is supposed to be related to the change in an atmospheric planetary wave pattern.