Interannual and interseasonal variability of the persian gulf surface wave energy in the recent decade

Renewable energies play an important role in global energy production. Wave energy is a type of renewable energy that can be affected by climate change. This study aims to investigate the distribution of surface wave energy variability over the Persian Gulf in the recent decade (2009–2018). To this end, Interannual and Interseasonal variability of the surface wave energy has been investigated using the Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) numerical model and applying statistical methods, including trends and Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The results indicated that the wave energy in most areas of the Persian Gulf showed a significant increasing trend although there was a negative trend value in the southwest of the Persian Gulf and no significant change in the southern coastal area of the Arabian Peninsula. The climatology of wave energy showed the seasonal variability of the wave energy, with a stronger value in the central parts of the Persian Gulf (50°–53° E) during winter months and reducing during spring months, especially in April. Then it reaches its maximum value in June and declines throughout the summer and fall months. Mean wave energy in 2017 had its maximum value due to destructive Meteotsunami -like waves that impacted the Persian Gulf in 2017 and its minimum were occurred in 2009, 2010, and 2014. In addition, the first principal component (PC-EOF 1), suggests a possible influence from the winter Shamal wind event and shows that the wave dynamics was closer to unimodality, in the period of study.