Unveiling the Power of Rogue Waves

10 Questions

Which force can potentially punch through steel walls like a finger through a potato chip?

Breaking pressure of at least 75-100 mT/m²

Where is one of the places where the probability of rogue waves becomes much higher?

Off the coast of South Africa

What is the basic underlying physics that make rogue waves possible called?

Constructive interference

What can cause waves traveling at different speeds or directions to pile up and create a single huge wave for a short period of time?

All of the above

What is the name of the current off the coast of South Africa that brings warm water from the Indian Ocean?

Agulhas current

How many examples of waves roughly 2 times the significant wave height were recorded over a 6-year period from 1998 to 2003?

Over 1500

What can nonlinear quantum mechanical equations show is possible for different wave components to interact and exchange energy without a tangible outside cause?

Energy transfer

What can these interactions produce, allowing a wave to suck energy out of the other waves surrounding it and grow into a rogue wave?

Instability

What is the inverse of rogue waves, which are extreme troughs more than twice as deep as the surrounding ones, called?

Rogue holes

How long ago did we believe that for 3 rogue waves 20m or higher to occur in our oceans, you would need to wait more than 24,000 years?

Over 20 years ago

Study Notes

The MS München Incident

On December 12, 1978, the freighter Marion received a distress call from the cargo ship MS München, which was crossing the North Atlantic during a fierce storm.
The MS München was a modern ship, considered unsinkable, but it vanished after sending out SOS signals, leaving behind only a few life jackets, a container, and 4 empty life rafts.
The largest search and rescue operation ever conducted in the North Atlantic was launched, but no signs of the ship or its 28 crew members were found.

The Investigation

The cause of the sinking was impossible to determine due to the lack of evidence.
A lifeboat found two months later showed signs of a massive force striking it, suggesting a wave higher than what was thought possible at the time.
The investigation concluded that an unusually large wave likely broke the bridge windows and killed the electronics, leading to the loss of maneuverability and the sinking of the ship.

Rogue Waves

Rogue waves are surface waves that form in the open ocean and are significantly higher than the surrounding waves.
To be considered a rogue wave, a wave must exceed the significant wave height by at least two times.
Rogue waves have a very short wavelength for their height, making them extremely steep and dangerous.
They are not the same as tsunamis, which are series of waves caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

The Draupner Wave

In 1995, the Draupner oil platform recorded a wave 26 meters (85 ft) high, which was more than twice the height of surrounding waves.
This was the first confirmed measurement of a rogue wave, forcing scientists to acknowledge their existence.
The incident showed that linear wave models used to predict wave height and calculate ship stress were inaccurate.

Characteristics of Rogue Waves

They can be classified into three categories: single giant storm waves, "walls of water" that travel long distances, and "three sisters" (three giant waves in close succession).
Rogue waves are killers that can sink even the most modern ships, and it is believed that 25 super-carriers lost between 1960 and 2000 may have been due to rogue waves.

The Dangers of Rogue Waves

When a ship encounters a rogue wave, the consequences are always devastating, and the captain's options are limited.
If the ship is hit from the side, the risk of capsizing is high.
If the ship takes the wave on the bow, it can cause the ship to break apart or severely damage the superstructure.
The tremendous energy released by rogue waves can also damage electronics and result in loss of maneuverability.