Analysis of wave heights and wind speeds in the Adriatic Sea

The study aims to determine mean annual wave heights and wind speeds in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic serves as a shipping route towards central Europe and a food and energy source for surrounding countries. Wave and wind climate information can serve as basis for design, research and policy making regarding ship safety and operability, potential renewable energy exploitation, design of off-shore installation etc. Mean annual wave height and wind speed values have been statically derived based on 43,274 ship sea state observations reported by the Hydrographical Institute of Republic of Croatia. This data has been digitalized and processed resulting in mean annual observed wave heights and corresponding wind speed values. Calm sea and no wind time percent periods have been calculated and wind-speedto-wave-height correlations presented. The obtained results are discussed for accuracy, significant effects are listed and future work guidelines are given. of the Mediterranean Sea, located in its north, central, part and interconnected to it by the Strait of Otranto on the south east side. For the major part the Adriatic Sea is categorized as the Mediterranean climate type (sub type Csa—Mediterranean climate with dry and hot summers, Favro & Saganic, 2007). The surface of the Adriatic Sea reads 138,595 sq. km, or 4.6% of the Mediterranean Sea area. It is of elongated, rectangular shape, stretching from the north-west to the south-east, between the Dinaric and Apennine mountain ranges that influence the dominant winds and consequent wave patterns. Surface wind waves in the Adriatic are limited by fetch and wind duration. Average width, across the Adriatic, from the north-east to the southwest is about 200 km. Furthermore, there are more than 1300 islands along the east coast that locally change the wind and wave characteristics. Sea depths are of such scale that cannot be neglected in the greater part of the basin. The shallowest area is in the north, in the Gulf of Trieste, and deepest is in the South-Adriatic pit (1233 m). Overall, more than 2/3 of the Adriatic basin is not deeper than 200 meters (Pilot book for boats, 2002). Dominant wind events that cause surface waves are bura (N-NE to E-NE, italian bora) and jugo (E-SE to SS-E, sirocco family) in the winter and maestral (W-NW to NW) in the summer (Favro & Saganic, 2007). Bura and jugo reach storm conditions and can cause extreme wave occurrences while meastral is of milder character. Maximum recorded wave in the Adriatic was during an event