Articles | Volume 15, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1615-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1615-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
06 Dec 2019
Research article |
| 06 Dec 2019
| 06 Dec 2019
Increasing turbidity in the North Sea during the 20th century due to changing wave climate
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1
3DH, UK
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, Scotland, G1 1XH, UK
Michael R. Heath
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, Scotland, G1 1XH, UK
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Short summary
The North Sea became much less clear during the 20th century, with potential consequences for primary production. This study analyses the hypothesis that changes in wave regime were a key driver of this change. We hindcast bed shear stress over the 20th century using a long-term wave reanalysis. Shear stress increased by over 20 % in large parts of the southern and central North Sea during the 20th century. An increase of this magnitude would have caused a large decline in water clarity.
The North Sea became much less clear during the 20th century, with potential consequences for...
