The seasonal variations in the significant wave height and sea surface wind speed of the China’s seas

Long-term variations in a sea surface wind speed (WS) and a significant wave height (SWH) are associated with the global climate change, the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, and an ocean resource exploitation, and other activities. The seasonal characteristics of the long-term trends in China’s seas WS and SWH are determined based on 24 a (1988–2011) cross-calibrated, multi-platform (CCMP) wind data and 24 a hindcast wave data obtained with the WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) wave model forced by CCMP wind data. The results show the following. (1) For the past 24 a, the China’s WS and SWH exhibit a significant increasing trend as a whole, of 3.38 cm/(s·a) in the WS, 1.3 cm/a in the SWH. (2) As a whole, the increasing trend of the China’s seas WS and SWH is strongest in March-April-May (MAM) and December-January-February (DJF), followed by June-July-August (JJA), and smallest in September-October-November (SON). (3) The areal extent of significant increases in the WS was largest in MAM, while the area decreased in JJA and DJF; the smallest area was apparent in SON. In contrast to the WS, almost all of China’s seas exhibited a significant increase in SWH in MAM and DJF; the range was slightly smaller in JJA and SON. The WS and SWH in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, the Tsushima Strait, the Taiwan Strait, the northern South China Sea, the Beibu Gulf, and the Gulf of Thailand exhibited a significant increase in all seasons. (4) The variations in China’s seas SWH and WS depended on the season. The areas with a strong increase usually appeared in DJF.