Article published by Mike Gaworecki Adaptation To Climate Change, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Environment, Global Warming, Impact Of Climate Change, Marine Ecosystems, Ocean Crisis, Ocean Warming, Oceans, Oceans And Climate Change, Research According to research published in the journal Nature Communications this month, the energy of ocean waves has grown over the past seven decades, which could have significant implications for coastal communities and ecosystems.The energy in ocean waves is transmitted from the wind. As the upper ocean has warmed, wind patterns have been affected globally, resulting in stronger ocean waves. The researchers behind the Nature Communications study say they found a long-term trend of wave power increasing globally in direct association with historical warming of the ocean surface.The researchers say their results show that global wave power could be used as an indicator of global warming similar to how atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration levels, global sea level rise, or global surface atmospheric temperatures are used now. Global climate change is impacting Earth’s oceans in a number of ways, from higher water temperatures and rising sea levels to acidification and oxygen depletion.Now, scientists have reported another change to oceans  wrought by global warming: According to research published in the journal Nature Communications this month, the energy of ocean waves has grown over the past seven decades, which could have significant implications for coastal communities and ecosystems.The energy in ocean waves is transmitted from the wind. As the upper ocean has warmed, wind patterns have been affected globally, resulting in stronger ocean waves. The researchers behind the Nature Communications study say they found a long-term trend of wave power increasing globally in direct association with historical warming of the ocean surface.“For the first time, we have identified a global signal of the effect of global warming in wave climate,” Borja G. Reguero, a researcher in the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the United States and the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “In fact, wave power has increased globally by 0.4 percent per year since 1948, and this increase is correlated with the increasing sea-surface temperatures, both globally and by ocean regions.”Previous analyses of the global wave climate, or how wave characteristics change over time, have tended to focus on historical trends in mean and extreme values for parameters such as wave height, Reguero and co-authors note. Wave heights have increased in recent decades, especially at higher latitudes in both hemispheres.“Satellite-based altimeter measurements from 1985 to 2008 reveal increases of 0.25% per year for the 90th wave height percentile and 0.50% per year for the 99th percentile, in both hemispheres,” the researchers write in the study. “[D]ata also show significant increases in extreme wave heights at the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere, 0.25–0.9% per year for the 90th percentile in the north Atlantic and the north Pacific, and decreases in the mid-latitudes.” In addition to changes in wave heights, wave periods have also increased, and the direction of waves has shifted in some cases, such as in the southern ocean and in the north Atlantic.Changes in global wave energy have received less attention, the researchers say, “particularly in the context of climate change.” They add that wave power has not been studied as a climate change indicator yet, but they found that “it can potentially characterize the long-term behavior of the global wave conditions better than wave heights.”Study co-author Inigo J. Losada, director of research at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute at Spain’s University of Cantabria, said that the study results show that global wave power could be used as an indicator of global warming similar to how atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration levels, global sea level rise, or global surface atmospheric temperatures are used now.Understanding how global wave power responds to oceanic warming also has important implications for adapting coastlines to the impacts of climate change on infrastructure, coastal cities, and small islands. Wave power is a “key driver of coastal change and flooding,” the authors of the study write, and as wave energy increases, the effects will become more profound.For instance, as sea levels rise, more wave energy will reach shore, exacerbating impacts to shorelines. But regional differences in upper-ocean warming will mean that wave power changes are different in each ocean basin. This variability in wave energy across regions and at different times of the year are most apparent in the heightened flooding and erosion risks to Pacific coastlines during El Niño events, “which are explained by our [wave power] patterns,” according to the authors. “Regionally, changes in the extratropical generation areas of the Southern Ocean and North Pacific, where the [wave power] is more severe, should receive special attention.“Our results indicate that risk analysis neglecting the changes in wave power and having sea level rise as the only driver may underestimate the consequences of climate change and result in insufficient or maladaptation,” co-author Fernando J. Méndez, associate professor at Universidad de Cantabria, said in a statement.CITATION• Borja G. Reguero, Iñigo J. Losada, & Fernando J. Méndez. (2019). A recent increase in global wave power as a consequence of oceanic warming. Nature Communications 10. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-08066-0Featured Image: Photo by Michael Goyberg. Popular in the CommunitySponsoredSponsoredOrangutan found tortured and decapitated prompts Indonesia probeEMGIES17 Jan, 2018We will never know the full extent of what this poor Orangutan went through before he died, the same must be done to this evil perpetrator(s) they don’t deserve the air that they breathe this has truly upset me and I wonder for the future for these wonderful creatures. So called ‘Mankind’ has a lot to answer for we are the only ones ruining this world I prefer animals to humans any day of the week.What makes community ecotourism succeed? In Madagascar, location, location, locationScissors1dOther countries should also learn and try to incorporateWhy you should care about the current wave of mass extinctions (commentary)Processor1 DecAfter all, there is no infinite anything in the whole galaxy!Infinite stupidity, right here on earth.The wildlife trade threatens people and animals alike (commentary)Anchor3dUnfortunately I feel The Chinese have no compassion for any living animal. They are a cruel country that as we knowneatbeverything that moves and do not humanily kill these poor animals and insects. They have no health and safety on their markets and they then contract these diseases. Maybe its karma maybe they should look at the way they live and stop using animals for all there so called remedies. DisgustingConservationists welcome China’s wildlife trade banThobolo27 JanChina has consistently been the worlds worst, “ Face of Evil “ in regards our planets flora and fauna survival. In some ways, this is nature trying to fight back. This ban is great, but the rest of the world just cannot allow it to be temporary, because history has demonstrated that once this coronavirus passes, they will in all likelihood, simply revert to been the planets worst Ecco Terrorists. Let’s simply not allow this to happen! How and why they have been able to degrade this planets iconic species, rape the planets rivers, oceans and forests, with apparent impunity, is just mind boggling! Please no more.Probing rural poachers in Africa: Why do they poach?Carrot3dOne day I feel like animals will be more scarce, and I agree with one of my friends, they said that poaching will take over the world, but I also hope notUpset about Amazon fires last year? Focus on deforestation this year (commentary)Bullhorn4dLies and more leisSponsoredSponsoredCoke is again the biggest culprit behind plastic waste in the PhilippinesGrapes7 NovOnce again the article blames companies for the actions of individuals. It is individuals that buy these products, it is individuals that dispose of them improperly. If we want to change it, we have to change, not just create bad guys to blame.Brazilian response to Bolsonaro policies and Amazon fires growsCar4 SepThank you for this excellent report. I feel overwhelmed by the ecocidal intent of the Bolsonaro government in the name of ‘developing’ their ‘God-given’ resources.U.S. allocates first of $30M in grants for forest conservation in SumatraPlanet4dcarrot hella thick ;)Melting Arctic sea ice may be altering winds, weather at equator: studyleftylarry30 JanThe Arctic sea ice seems to be recovering this winter as per the last 10-12 years, good news.Malaysia has the world’s highest deforestation rate, reveals Google forest mapBone27 Sep, 2018Who you’re trying to fool with selective data revelation?You can’t hide the truth if you show historical deforestation for all countries, especially in Europe from 1800s to this day. WorldBank has a good wholesome data on this.Mass tree planting along India’s Cauvery River has scientists worriedSurendra Nekkanti23 JanHi Mongabay. Good effort trying to be objective in this article. I would like to give a constructive feedback which could help in clearing things up.1. It is mentioned that planting trees in village common lands will have negative affects socially and ecologically. There is no need to even have to agree or disagree with it, because, you also mentioned the fact that Cauvery Calling aims to plant trees only in the private lands of the farmers. So, plantation in the common lands doesn’t come into the picture.2.I don’t see that the ecologists are totally against this project, but just they they have some concerns, mainly in terms of what species of trees will be planted. And because there was no direct communication between the ecologists and Isha Foundation, it was not possible for them to address the concerns. As you seem to have spoken with an Isha spokesperson, if you could connect the concerned parties, it would be great, because I see that the ecologists are genuinely interested in making sure things are done the right way.May we all come together and make things happen.Rare Amazon bush dogs caught on camera in BoliviaCarrot1 Feba very good iniciative to be fallowed by the ranchers all overSponsored read more