Fan, L.; Zheng, C.W.; Zhou, H.; Tang, H.; Zhang, G.; Gao, C.; Lang, F., and Gao, Y., 2020. Gust characteristic analysis of wind energy resource in the western Pacific Ocean. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 404–410. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

As a key factor in the ocean energy development, particularly for preventing and reducing disaster, the analysis of gust characteristic is necessary. This study presents the characteristics of annual and seasonal wind speed, gust wind speed in the western Pacific region, using the CCMP wind data and ERA-interim gust data. Results show that, (1) There is a good consistency in annual variation between the averaged wind speed and averaged gust, while a great difference with the maximum gust. (2) The averaged wind speed for 35 years in the nearshore is smaller than that in the off-shore. There is a large value belt in Ryukyu Islands -- Taiwan Island -- the traditional South China Sea gale center, with two obvious large centers (about 7.5-8.0 m/s) located in the Taiwan Strait, the traditional South China Sea gale center. The large area of maximum annual mean gust (> 50 m/s) is mainly locates in the broad ocean of the east of Taiwan, (3) There is an obvious seasonal difference of the average wind speed, average gust and maximum gust. The average gust has noticeable monthly variation, the peak usually appears in November and the trough mainly appearing in summer. There is also a noticeable monthly variation for the maximum gust. In the middle and south of the South China Sea, the maximum gust is <16 m/s in each month. In the most part of the western Pacific region, the peak value of maximum gust appearing is in October and August, it is about 14-24 m/s in other months.