A spectral analysis of near-surface wind speed and possible sources of predictability in the Iberian Peninsula

Conventional time series analysis of observed near-surface wind speed (SWS) have focused both on mean values and on the sign, magnitude and statistical significance of trends. Specifically, a decrease in the SWS has been detected in continental surfaces of the planet's mid-latitudes from 1979 to 2010 approximately, the so-called stilling phenomenon; and an increase from 2010 until now, the reversal phenomenon. However, although various hypotheses have been proposed in the scientific literature, the mechanisms behind these phenomena and what evolution this parameter will follow in the future are still understudied, mainly because the response of a variable dependent on atmospheric circulation, such as wind speed, to a warming climate is uncertain. This study aims to use spectral analysis (Fourier and wavelet) to determine the most significant frequency modes associated with the SWS time series in the Iberian Peninsula (IP), for both mean wind speed and daily peak wind gusts, as well as its temporal evolution for 1961-2019. Subsequently, this study will also attempt to relate these modes to those corresponding to various modes of ocean-atmosphere variability such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or, due to the influence of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) in the European troposphere, the polar vortex. The ultimate goal will be to explore possible sources of predictability in the medium-long term for SWS across the IP, which would have direct applications in areas such as: wind-power generation, agriculture, air quality, insurance and fishing industries, among many others socioeconomic and environmental issues.