Chinese researchers found that the global average surface wind speed has increased since 2010, reversing the previous trend of speed slowdown, according to a recent study paper published in the journal of Nature Climate Change.

Wind power, a rapidly growing alternative energy source, has been threatened by slower global average surface wind speeds since the 1980s.

The research team from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Southern University of Science and Technology used wind data worldwide and found the trend in global average surface wind speed reversed around 2010 and that global wind speeds over land have recovered.

The results showed the recent rate of increase in the global average surface wind speed was three times the rate of decline before 2010, with North America, Europe and Asia showing the most marked change.

In addition, they concluded that the decade variations of near-surface wind were probably determined by large-scale ocean and atmospheric circulations, rather than by vegetation growth or urbanization.

If the improving global surface wind speed persists for another decade, wind power would rise 37 percent up to 3.3 million kWh by 2024, researchers predicted.

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