Wind wave climate in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea over the past century from visual ship‐based observations

Abstract A comprehensive analysis of wind wave climate in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea over the past century (1924–2023) is presented. Visual wave observations conducted in the frame of the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) program lay the foundation for the performed analysis. Natively separated visual estimates of wind sea and swell heights, periods, and directions of propagation allow for the calculation of significant wave height, dominant period, wave age, steepness, and wavelength, thereby greatly extending the set of sea state characteristics. Continuity, observational density, and quality of VOS data provide a solid basis for the development of regime and extreme wave statistics on different spatio‐temporal scales, as well as for the evaluation of long‐term trends.