Annual Mean Wave Power

Sea surface waves are mainly caused by the effects of wind on the surface of the sea. Their height is predominantly determined by the fetch (i.e. distance wind has blown over) and length of time of the wind forcing. Some local modification of wave height can be caused by tides. The seabed also influences waves in shallow water as waves will become steeper and higher as they approach the shore.

Within Scottish waters, the wave climate is mainly influenced by conditions in the North Atlantic ocean, where the fetch is long enough to establish large, regular waves known as swell. The north and west of Scotland (Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland) are most exposed to these conditions. On the east coast of Scotland, conditions in autumn and winter may also be rough in the North Sea because the wind direction can lead to a large fetch. Moreover, the Moray Firth is also relatively exposed because of its shoaling bathymetry and exposure to the North Sea.

Reproduced from Renewables-Atlas Crown Copyright.

Date of Data: 2008