List of Figures 
294 
System Nordsee 
Fig. 2-13: Winter: classified monthly/seasonal sea level pressure distributions (hPa). Left: NCEP/ 
NCAR climatology (1971 -2000). Middle: 2006. Right: anomalies. J, F, M, JFM = January, 
February 77 
Fig. 2-14: As Fig. 2-13, except for spring 2006 78 
Fig. 2-15: As Fig. 2-13, except for summer 2006 79 
Fig. 2-16: As Fig. 2-13, except for fall 2006 80 
Fig. 2-17: As Fig. 2-13, except for winter 2007. 81 
Fig. 2-18: As Fig. 2-13, except for spring 2007. 82 
Fig. 2-19: As Fig. 2-13, except for summer 2007. 83 
Fig. 2-20: As Fig. 2-13, except for fall 2007. 84 
Fig. 2-21: Seasonal 50% probability ellipses for the >North Sea Wind< (1 = winter = JFM, 2 = 
spring, etc.); top: 2006, bottom: 2007. 86 
Fig. 2-22: Progressive daily vectors of the >North Sea Wind< with ensemble and climatology. 
Markers indicate the first day in a month, years final points of ensemble members 89 
Fig. 2-23: UKMO vs. NCEP: Total number of annual gale days for threshold G* = 30 hPa. The sys 
tematic offset of-27% in NCEP storm frequency vanishes after 2001 thus disclosing an 
inhomogeneity in the UKMO dataset. The offset results from the fact that NCEP-SLPs are 
dally means of 4 states (0,6, 12 & 18Z), while UKMO-SLPs reflect the state at OZ, only. .93 
Fig. 2-24: Gale quantiles for fixed exceedance probabilities (1 - CDF) due to the empirical, the 
Gamma-, and the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) for the gale index G* during 
1971- 2000. Top: UKMO, bottom: NCEP. 95 
Fig. 2-25: Gale frequencies for 2005/06 (blue) and 2006/07 (red) along with empirical distri 
butions for 1971 - 2000 (stacked columns). Percentile range Min to Max, internal interval 
limits at 10,25,50 (median, continuous stepline), 75 and 90% 100 
Fig. 2-26: Seasonal cycles of monthly averaged daily global radiation totals at Norderney to 
gether with intramonthly extremes, 1971 -2000 base period monthly means, and 95%- 
band (climatology ± 1.96 standard deviations). 11dem 2 is equivalent to a radiation flux 
density of 116 Wm 2 . Raw data: Deutscher Wetterdienst. 104 
Fig. 2-27: Monthly air surface temperatures at Norderney with 1971 - 2000 base period means, 
and 95%-band (climatology ± 1.96 std. deviations). Raw Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst. 
104 
Fig. 2-28: Flemispheric temperature anomalies (K) in July 2006 (top) and Jan. 2007. Base 
period 1971-2000. Contours, solid: 0&±2 k , stippled: ±0.5 & ±3x2 kl , k = 0,1,2,3; 
red/blue labels: +/-. Source data: NCDC, merged land-ocean sfc. temperatures (GHCN- 
M v3.1.0 & ICOADS/ERSST v3b), www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/ghcn-gridded- 
pro-ducts.php 105 
Physical Oceanography 
Fig. 3-1: Monthly surface circulation of the North Sea in 2006. Vector mean currents from >BSH- 
cmod<. Stability (%, colored) is the ratio of vector mean current to mean magnitude. .119 
Fig. 3-2: Monthly surface circulation of the North Sea in 2007. Vector mean currents from >BSH- 
cmod<. Stability (%, colored) is the ratio of vector mean current to mean magnitude. . 121 
Fig. 3-3: Volume transport through the Strait of Dover in 2006 (top) and 2007 (bottom). Model 
data >BSHcmod<; 1 Sv= 10 6 m 3 /s 123