Global Increase in Tropical Cyclone Ocean Surface Waves

About ERA5

• ERA5 is the fifth generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ atmospheric reanalysis of the global climate, covering the period from January 1940 to present. 

What are Ocean Surface Waves?

• Ocean surface waves are ripples or disturbances that travel along the ocean’s surface. 
• Causes: They are usually caused by turbulence on the ocean surface by wind, earthquake, cyclone and tsunami. 

Hazards of Ocean Surface Waves

• Increased coastal erosion: The larger and more energetic waves due to TC erode coastlines.
• More frequent and severe flooding: The storm surges caused by these waves can inundate coastal areas, causing widespread flooding and damage.
• Disruption of marine ecosystems: It can damage coral reefs and other marine habitats.
• Navigation hazards: The high waves make navigating dangerous for ships, disrupting the global supply chain. 
• Change in Circulation Pattern: Due to the increase in ocean turbulence, they cause heat transfer from the surface to waters nearly 300 metres down, potentially altering the broader ocean circulation patterns. 
• Example: The fastest-increasing rates of wave footprint (17-32 percent per decade) were in the North Atlantic, eastern Pacific and North Indian Ocean. 

About Tropical Cyclone

• A Tropical Cyclone is a warm-core low-pressure system that develops over tropical or subtropical waters and has an organized circulation. 
• It is energized by the release of latent heat on account of the condensation of moisture that the wind gathers after moving over the oceans and seas.