Influence of Long-Term Wind Variability on the Storm Activity in the Caspian Sea

Wind and wave conditions are limiting factors for economic activity, and it is very important to study the long-term variability of storm activity. The main motivation of this research is to assess the impact of wind variability on the storm activity in the Caspian Sea over the past 42 years. The paper presents the analysis of a number of storms based on the results of wave model WAVEWATCH III and the Peak Over Threshold method. The mean, maximum, and 95th percentile significant wave heights were analyzed by season. The highest waves were in the Middle Caspian Sea in winter. Detailed interannual and seasonal analyses of the number and duration of storm waves were performed for the whole Caspian Sea and its separate regions. Positive significant trends were found in the whole sea. Significant positive trends in the number and duration of storms were found for the North and Middle Caspian. In the South Caspian, the trends were negative and not significant. High correlations were found between the number of storms and events with wind speed > 10–14 m/s and 95th percentile wind speed. Positive trends in the number of storms in the Middle Caspian were caused by positive trends in extreme wind situations.