Rogue waves in the ocean are much more common than anyone suspected, says new study

Sun, 12 May 2024 04:31:35 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/rogue-waves-in-the-ocean-are-much-more-common-than-anyone-suspected-says-new-study-225352>

"We used three-dimensional imaging of ocean waves to capture freakish seas that
produce a notorious phenomenon known as rogue waves. Our results are now
published in Physical Review Letters*.

Rogue waves are giant colossi of the sea – twice as high as neighbouring waves
– that appear seemingly out of nowhere. Stories of unimaginable mountains of
water as tall as ten-storey buildings have populated maritime folklore and
literature for centuries.

Recent technology has allowed scientists to spot rogue waves out at sea, making
legend become reality. The first and most famous measurement was of the
Draupner wave, a 25.6-metre monster recorded in the North Sea on January 1
1995.

Despite observations, we still don’t know how often rogue waves occur, or if we
can predict them. A record of a rogue wave doesn’t include specific features
that distinguish the sea around it, so we can’t make comparisons or predict the
conditions needed.

Our team set sail on the South African icebreaker S.A. Agulhas-II to chase
rogue waves across the Southern Ocean, where mighty winds shape Earth’s
fiercest waves."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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