ИСТИНА

This study is focused on the alterations and typical features of the wind wave climate of the Black Sea since 1979 till nowadays. Wind wave parameters were calculated by means of the 3rd-generation numerical spectral wind wave model SWAN, which is widely used on various spatial scales – both coastal waters and open seas. Data on wind speed and direction from the NCEP CFSR reanalysis were used as forcing. The computations were performed on an original unstructured computational grid with cell size depending on the sea depth. The distance between grid points varies from 10—15 km in deep-water offshore regions till 500 m in coastal areas. Modeling results were validated against data of in situ measurements performed by a Datawell wave buoy installed 7 km off the city of Gelendzhik. Modeling results were applied to evaluate the principal characteristics of wind waves: seasonal and total maximal and average wave parameters, recurrences of wave heights, periods and directions, duration of storms etc. Multiannual trends of wave parameters were also assessed to evaluate the response of wind waves to climate change and to determine periods of high and low storminess. Special attention is paid to coastal areas, as storm waves may cause severe damage here. Moreover, waves in coastal areas are a possible source of renewable energy. The reported study was funded by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) within the research project No. 16-35-00488.