QuickSCAT observations of extreme wind events over the Mediterranean and Black Seas during 2000-2008

A total of 9 years (2000-2008) of QuickSCAT hi-resolution (12.5 x 12.5 km) surface wind observations are employed to identify seasonal means and extreme (gale-force) events over the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The Gulf of Lyon and the Aegean Sea are the regions with the highest sustained wind magnitudes throughout the year. Conversely, the lowest winds are found over the Tyrrhenian, the northern Adriatic and the eastern Black Seas. During winter, the Gulf of Lyon and the Aegean portray mean wind magnitudes ranging from 7 to 11 m/s. During summer, the Aegean Sea portrays the highest wind magnitudes over the entire study area. The lowest wind magnitudes during summer are encountered over the Tyrrhenian, northern Adriatic, eastern Black and eastern Mediterranean Seas (3-6 m/s). From the entire (2000-2008) observations, each QuickSCAT observation exceeding 20 m/s is considered an extreme event. For all the registered extreme events during 2000-2008, we calculate (1) 2-D maps of seasonal frequency occurrence and (2) the histograms of wind directions for ten sub-regions encompassed in the study area (Gulf of Lyon, Balearic Sea, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, North African coast, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas). Results pertaining to the frequency occurrence show coincidence between high (low) seasonal mean and extreme event frequency occurrence for the areas such as the Gulf of Lyon and the Aegean Sea (Tyrrhenian/southeastern Black Seas). In addition, it is shown that for several cases (Gulf of Lyon, Aegean Sea) the dominant wind direction of extreme events substantially differentiates from the seasonal mean wind directions. Finally we investigate the linearity of extreme event occurrence in terms of mean wind speed climatology over the sub-regions encompassing the study area. Copyright (C) 2010 Royal Meteorological Society