They are every mariner's worst nightmare. A wave twice the height of the average sea state that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Rogue waves have been blamed for countless lost vessels throughout history, but not only are they dangerous to ships and mariners at sea, they can also sweep unsuspecting beachgoers out to sea - often with fatal results. To get a better … [Read more...]
Researchers Recreate Rogue Wave in Lab, Shedding Light on How They Form in Open Ocean
Researchers at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh have worked out the unique set of conditions that allow for the creation of 'freak' or 'rogue' waves that can seemingly appear without warning and pose a danger to ships and mariners at sea. During the study, the team set out to recreate the conditions that led to famous Draupner freak wave, one of the first confirmed … [Read more...]
This Video of a Lab Simulated Rogue Wave Will Make Your Palms Sweat
It's a sailor's worst nightmare. A monster wave that comes out of nowhere, two to three times bigger than the others. In certain cases, waves like this are capable of swallowing a ship whole. Yet to this day we still don't know much about rogue waves or how they form. Actually, most of what we do know about these freak waves comes from actual experience. We know they're out … [Read more...]
Study Finds Massive Rogue Waves Aren’t as Rare as Previously Thought
UM Rosenstiel scientist and colleague’s findings are critical for safe operations at sea University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science scientist Mark Donelan and his Norwegian Meteorological Institute colleague captured new information about extreme waves, as one of the steepest ever recorded passed by the North Sea Ekofisk platforms in the early … [Read more...]
Warning: Rogue Wave Ahead — Predicting the Ship Killing Waves
Rogue waves are real sea monsters. Rising many times higher than surrounding waves, they have the power to sink ships and to cripple offshore platforms. Recently, engineers from MIT have developed a new means of predicting the formation of rogue waves, which may give mariners a two to three-minute warning before one of the monster wave hits. Whether or not the new … [Read more...]