This book provides an example of a thorough statistical treatment of ocean wave data in space and time. It demonstrates how the flexible framework of Bayesian hierarchical space-time models can be applied to oceanographic processes such as significant wave height in order to describe dependence structures and uncertainties in the data.

This monograph is a research book and it is partly cross-disciplinary. The methodology itself is firmly rooted in the statistical research tradition, based on probability theory and stochastic processes. However, that methodology has been applied to a problem in the field of physical oceanography, analyzing data for significant wave height, which is of crucial importance to ocean engineering disciplines. Indeed, the statistical properties of significant wave height are important for the design, construction and operation of ships and other marine and coastal structures. Furthermore, the book addresses the question of whether climate change has an effect of the ocean wave climate, and if so what that effect might be. Thus, this book is an important contribution to the ongoing debate on climate change, its implications and how to adapt to a changing climate, with a particular focus on the maritime industries and the marine environment.

This book should be of value to anyone with an interest in the statistical modelling of environmental processes, and in particular to those with an interest in the ocean wave climate. It is written on a level that should be understandable to everyone with a basic background in statistics or elementary mathematics, and an introduction to some basic concepts is provided in the appendices for the uninitiated reader. The intended readership includes students and professionals involved in statistics, oceanography, ocean engineering, environmental research, climate sciences and risk assessment. Moreover, the book s findings are relevant for various stakeholders in the maritime industries such as design offices, classification societies, ship owners, yards and operators, flag states and intergovernmental agencies such as the IMO."

This book provides an example of a thorough statistical treatment of ocean wave data in space and time. It demonstrates how the flexible framework of Bayesian hierarchical space-time models can be applied to oceanographic processes such as significant wave height in order to describe dependence structures and uncertainties in the data. This monograph is a research book and it is partly cross-disciplinary. The methodology itself is firmly rooted in the statistical research tradition, based on probability theory and stochastic processes. However, that methodology has been applied to a problem in the field of physical oceanography, analyzing data for significant wave height, which is of crucial importance to ocean engineering disciplines. Indeed, the statistical properties of significant wave height are important for the design, construction and operation of ships and other marine and coastal structures. Furthermore, the book addresses the question of whether climate change has an effect of the ocean wave climate, and if so what that effect might be. Thus, this book is an important contribution to the ongoing debate on climate change, its implications and how to adapt to a changing climate, with a particular focus on the maritime industries and the marine environment. This book should be of value to anyone with an interest in the statistical modelling of environmental processes, and in particular to those with an interest in the ocean wave climate. It is written on a level that should be understandable to everyone with a basic background in statistics or elementary mathematics, and an introduction to some basic concepts is provided in the appendices for the uninitiated reader. The intended readership includes students and professionals involved in statistics, oceanography, ocean engineering, environmental research, climate sciences and risk assessment. Moreover, the book’s findings are relevant for various stakeholders in the maritime industries such as design offices, classification societies, ship owners, yards and operators, flag states and intergovernmental agencies such as the IMO.

The world is becoming increasingly complex, with larger quantities of data available to be analyzed. It so happens that much of these "big data" that are available are spatio-temporal in nature, meaning that they can be indexed by their spatial locations and time stamps. Spatio-Temporal Statistics with R provides an accessible introduction to statistical analysis of spatio-temporal data, with hands-on applications of the statistical methods using R Labs found at the end of each chapter. The book: Gives a step-by-step approach to analyzing spatio-temporal data, starting with visualization, then statistical modelling, with an emphasis on hierarchical statistical models and basis function expansions, and finishing with model evaluation Provides a gradual entry to the methodological aspects of spatio-temporal statistics Provides broad coverage of using R as well as "R Tips" throughout. Features detailed examples and applications in end-of-chapter Labs Features "Technical Notes" throughout to provide additional technical detail where relevant Supplemented by a website featuring the associated R package, data, reviews, errata, a discussion forum, and more The book fills a void in the literature and available software, providing a bridge for students and researchers alike who wish to learn the basics of spatio-temporal statistics. It is written in an informal style and functions as a down-to-earth introduction to the subject. Any reader familiar with calculus-based probability and statistics, and who is comfortable with basic matrix-algebra representations of statistical models, would find this book easy to follow. The goal is to give as many people as possible the tools and confidence to analyze spatio-temporal data.