Coastal Climate Variability and Predictability: Challenges and Emerging Solutions

A special issue of Climate (ISSN 2225-1154).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Interests: climate variability and change; sea level; seasonal prediction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Interests: climate variability and change; marine heatwaves; seasonal prediction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, The University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
2. Climate Change Research Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Interests: severe weather; climate variability and change; synoptic and mesoscale meteorology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to climate variability and change, with rising sea levels, shifting ocean currents, extreme events, and compound hazards posing significant threats to ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities. Despite their importance, the predictability of coastal climate systems remains limited due to the complex interplay of oceanic, atmospheric, and terrestrial processes across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

This Special Issue aims to bring together innovative research focused on understanding and improving the predictability of coastal climate. We welcome studies that address the physical mechanisms governing coastal variability, the role of coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics, the influence of climate modes (e.g., ENSO, NAO, IOD, MJO), and the impacts of anthropogenic forcing. Submissions are encouraged from a range of disciplines, including climate modelling, novel machine learning applications, observational analysis, and coastal risk assessment.

We particularly invite contributions that present new methodologies, modelling frameworks, or interdisciplinary approaches that can advance predictive skill or support actionable climate information for coastal stakeholders. Comparative studies across different coastal regions, evaluations of forecast systems, and assessments of predictability limits under future climate scenarios are also highly relevant. By assembling a range of perspectives and approaches, this collection underscores the urgent need and growing opportunity for innovation in coastal climate prediction. We thank the authors for their contributions and hope the collection inspires continued cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Xiaoyu Long
Dr. Tongtong Xu
Dr. Milton S. Speer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Climate is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coastal climate variability
  • coastal compound flooding
  • coastal marine heatwaves
  • coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics
  • climate extremes
  • regional climate modelling
  • machine learning in climate science
  • climate risk and resilience
  • forecast evaluation
  • anthropogenic impacts on coasts

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop