Progress in building a wave climate database along the french coasts through numerical hindcast simulations over a 20-years period

Abstract The modelling of coastal morphodynamics as well as the design of sea defences require long-term series of wave data, in order to estimate average and extreme wave conditions in the coastal zone and near the shoreline. Unfortunately, often only limited amounts of observations and measurements are available. The TOMAWAC spectral wave code is used to make a hindcast of wave conditions along the French coasts over the past 20 years, in order to extend our knowledge of wave climate. Preliminary results obtained over a period of two years compare fairly well with available buoy measurements.