Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the long-term variability and trends of wave climate in Mexican seas using a 43-year wave hindcast over a period from 1980 to 2022. The dataset corresponds to numerical results from a simulation using the third-generation spectral wave model WaveWatch III.
Wind-waves are a widely available energy resource with great potential. Some of its advantages is that waves travel naturally from generation zones to the coasts with practically no energy loss, the highest percentage of the world population is near coasts, wave energy is also within reach of remote communities in islands or archipelagos, and implementing technology for its use has a minimal environmental impact. However, there are certain challenges with opportunities for further studies, such as the fact that wave energy converter devices (WECs) may interfere with navigation, the need to study more about the impact on marine fauna, and the design and construction of efficient and adequate WECs to harvest the resource with different characteristics, and above all, as more technology is developed, to lower costs, which has been the main reason why this type of marine energy source has not yet been so widely distributed [1].
Studies for wave trends commonly have used the significant wave height Hs. This parameter contains valuable information for studying future scenarios such as flooding due to sea level rise, coastal erosion, the design of coastal protection and climate change [2]. Yet, as we look for alternative sustainable energy sources, it is important to have accurate resource assessments. In that matter, characterization of wave energy is vital. The main parameter to this purpose is the omni-directional wave power Pw.
As surface gravity waves are generated solely by wind, they are particularly affected by atmospheric fluctuations. Climate periodic patterns like El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) have bimodal variations that have a direct effect on the wind patterns, which might have effect on the wave climate and power. Typically to conduct a wave energy assessment in a site it has been suggested to be performed for period of at least 10 years, nevertheless to study the long-term variability of waves it is recommended to have more than 3 decades of data to reduce uncertainties [3].
It is important not only to have a reliable resource assessment but also study the changes on the long-term, and the physical mechanisms that occur.