High-Resolution Wave Climate Data under Future Climate Scenarios along the European Atlantic Coast

Understanding future wave climate is critical for coastal adaptation, infrastructure planning, and marine renewable energy development. This study presents a high-resolution spectral wave dataset for the European Atlantic coast, derived through regional downscaling of CMIP6 climate projections. The dataset was generated using the WRF atmospheric model and two wave models—WAVEWATCH III and Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN)—to simulate 3-hourly directional wave spectra at 1,031 offshore locations spaced 10 km apart and approximately 50 km from shore. Simulations cover three 30-year periods: historical (1985–2014) and two future projections (2030–2059) under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. Two datasets are provided: spectral energy densities and integrated wave parameters, both validated and formatted in CF-1.8-compliant NetCDF-4 files. The spectral data can be used to initialize new SWAN simulations, enabling efficient, site-specific wave modeling. The integral wave parameters support regional-scale assessments of climate change impacts on wave conditions. The dataset is openly available through the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) repository, offering a valuable resource for research, engineering, and policy-making in coastal and marine domains.