Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-41
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2025-41
21 Mar 2025
 | 21 Mar 2025
Status: a revised version of this preprint was accepted for the journal WES and is expected to appear here in due course.

Scour variability across offshore wind farms (OWFs): Understanding site-specific scour drivers as a step towards assessing potential impacts on the marine environment

Karen Garcia, Christian Jordan, Gregor Melling, Alexander Schendel, Mario Welzel, and Torsten Schlurmann

Abstract. The development of offshore wind farms (OWFs) is critical to meeting renewable energy targets, but predicting scour around offshore wind energy structures (OWES) and the associated potential impacts on marine ecosystems remains a challenge. Using high-resolution bathymetry data, this study analyses field-measured scour depths at 460 monopiles at nine British OWFs. The analysis reveals a large spatial variability of relative scour depths (𝑆/𝐷) between OWF sites, but also within individual wind farms. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to identify significant drivers of this variability. When the entire data set is considered, results indicate that median grain size (𝐷50), relative water depths (β„Ž/𝐷), and the significant wave height (𝐻𝑠,99) are the most important influencing factors for the variability of scour depths. Other parameters investigated, such as Froude number (πΉπ‘Ÿ), pile Reynolds number (𝑅𝑒), flow intensity (π‘ˆπ‘,99/π‘ˆπ‘π‘Ÿ), and current velocity (π‘ˆπ‘,99), were found to have a less clear influence. Further sediment-specific analysis shows that relative water depth (β„Ž/𝐷) is a particularly relevant driver of scour at sites with fine (63 to 200 πœ‡π‘š) and medium sands (200 to 630 πœ‡π‘š), with larger scour depths occurring in shallower water depths. Findings from this study provide new insights into scour behavior across a range of spatial and environmental scales and lay a foundation for the transferability of scour prediction frameworks to new OWF sites. In the future, findings and datasets from this study are suggested to be used to estimate scour-induced sediment transport and thereby to provide a step towards the assessment of potential impacts of OWF expansion scenarios in the marine environment. By addressing the broader implications for regional sediment dynamics, this research contributes to the sustainable development of offshore wind energy.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this paper. While Copernicus Publications makes every effort to include appropriate place names, the final responsibility lies with the authors. Views expressed in the text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
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Karen Garcia, Christian Jordan, Gregor Melling, Alexander Schendel, Mario Welzel, and Torsten Schlurmann

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on wes-2025-41', Anonymous Referee #1, 20 Apr 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Karen Garcia, 27 Jun 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on wes-2025-41', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 May 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Karen Garcia, 27 Jun 2025

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on wes-2025-41', Anonymous Referee #1, 20 Apr 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Karen Garcia, 27 Jun 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on wes-2025-41', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 May 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Karen Garcia, 27 Jun 2025
Karen Garcia, Christian Jordan, Gregor Melling, Alexander Schendel, Mario Welzel, and Torsten Schlurmann
Karen Garcia, Christian Jordan, Gregor Melling, Alexander Schendel, Mario Welzel, and Torsten Schlurmann

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Latest update: 29 Aug 2025
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Short summary
Scour depths at nine British OWFs were analyzed. This study also highlights the potential environmental impacts of scour-induced sediment transport. While the primary focus was on identifying the physical drivers of scour, the findings could provide a first step in assessing potential impacts of OWF on the marine environment due to a changed regional sediment mobility.
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