Cumulative hydrodynamic impacts of offshore wind farms on North Sea currents and surface temperatures #ENG #DEU #NLD

Abstract. Offshore wind farms are increasingly shaping coastal ocean dynamics, yet their cumulative physical impacts remain poorly quantified. Using decade-long, high-resolution simulations of the North Sea, we show that large-scale offshore wind development can reduce current velocities by up to 20% and reshape local tidal energy distributions. Wind and tidal wakes exert distinct but interacting influences on ocean physics: wind speed anomalies drive far-field hydrodynamic impacts, while structure-induced drag intensifies local turbulence and mixing. Turbine spacing emerges as a key . . .


https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/cumulative-hydrodynamic-impacts-of-offshore-wind-farms-on-north-sea-currents-and-surface-temperatures/