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Extreme Ocean Waves pp 139–157Cite as

Extremes and Decadal Variations of the Northern Baltic Sea Wave Conditions

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Abstract

Average wave conditions, their seasonal cycle and decadal variations, and extreme wave storms in the northern Baltic Sea are studied on the basis of long-term time series from Almagrundet (1978–2003) and Vilsandi (1954–2005), and wave statistics from the middle of the northern Baltic Proper. The typical wave periods are 3–4 s in coastal areas and 4–6 s on the open sea. The monthly mean wave height varies from about 0.4 (0.5) m in April–July to 0.8 (1.3–1.4) m in January at Vilsandi (Almagrundet). The annual mean wave height varied insignificantly in the 1960s–1970s, considerably increased in the 1980s, was at highest in the mid-1990s, and rapidly decreases in 1998–2005. Significant wave heights H S ≥ 4m occur with a probability of about 1%. Extreme wave conditions with H S ≥ 7m have been registered five times since 1978. The records overlook 2–3 such cases. The overall recorded maximum H S is 7.8 m. The estimated maximum of H S was 9.5 m in cyclone Gudrun in January 2005.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia

    Tarmo Soomere

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  1. Tarmo Soomere
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Appl. Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul’yanov str. 46, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 603950

    Efim Pelinovsky

  2. Technopole de Chateau-Gombert, IRPHE, 49 rue F. Joliot Curie, 13384, Marseille, BP 146, France

    Christian Kharif

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Soomere, T. (2008). Extremes and Decadal Variations of the Northern Baltic Sea Wave Conditions. In: Pelinovsky, E., Kharif, C. (eds) Extreme Ocean Waves. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8314-3_8

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