We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Somali Piracy and the Monsoon.
- Authors
Cook, Duncan; Garrett, Sally
- Abstract
Analysis of the weather and ocean conditions during recent pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean region suggests that the transition of the summer monsoon limits maritime piracy. A comparison of all known pirate attacks in the region in 2010-11 with surface observations from Socotra and the Somali jet index during the same period indicates that pirates attacking from skiffs are thwarted when winds blow in excess of 9 m s−1. The wind speeds and sea states encountered by pirates during individual attacks were reconstructed using satellite altimetry data for 2010-11. Mean daily wind speeds of up to 20 m s−1 during the two boreal summers resulted in consistently rough seas across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Surface wind speeds during pirate attacks were generally low (less than 8 m s−1), and once wind speeds exceeded 9 m s−1 no successful attacks occurred. The majority (94%) of pirate attacks took place in waves of sea state 4 or less (wave heights below 2.5 m), with pirates rarely attacking after the rough seas of the summer monsoon evolved. Wind speeds and wave heights during the winter monsoon, premonsoon [March-May (MAM)], and postmonsoon [September-November (SON)] seasons were not a deterrent for pirates operating in the Indian Ocean region.
- Subjects
SOMALIA; MARITIME piracy; PIRATES; INTERNATIONAL law; MARITIME law
- Publication
Weather, Climate & Society, 2013, Vol 5, Issue 4, p309
- ISSN
1948-8327
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00001.1