Impressive and unpredictable, the scoundrel waves are rare and mysterious phenomena that have intrigued scientists for years. Indeed, if their existence has been known for a long time, experts have so far had only theories not verified to explain them. A study that has spread over almost two decades finally comes to clarify this mystery.
What is a scoundrel wave?
Also called giant waves or murderous waves, the waves scoundrels are unpredictable oceanic waves and a significant height; Generally twice higher than the height of neighboring waves, and some reaching 20 meters in height. These rare oceanic waves can move in the same direction, in the opposite direction or to oblique angles compared to the dominant wind and the movement of the waves. They can be dangerous for ships at sea, since they are able to capsize them.
They can even be powerful enough to damage oil drilling platforms and headlights. Formerly considered to be a nautical myth, the scoundrel waves are now observed worldwide. It is useful to specify that the scoundrel waves are different from tsunamis, which are caused by underwater earthquakes, underwater or coastal landslides, or volcanic eruptions. Although there are various theories, the exact cause of the appearance of the scoundrel waves is not known. At least that was the case until recently.
A less exceptional phenomenon than thought
Indeed, a team of researchers managed to identify the forces behind these famous deadly waves. According to the results of the study published in the journal Scientific Reportsthese oceanic giants are not exceptional and isolated phenomena since they result from the natural laws of the sea. To understand the conclusion of this study, you should know that so far, dominant theory has been modulational instability. It is a process where slight variations in synchronization and spacing between the waves concentrate energy in a single wave.
Instead of remaining uniformly distributed, the configuration changes and a wave becomes much larger than the others. If this theory is relevant in laboratory simulations, it is not applicable in the open sea, insofar as energy can spread there in several directions. Thus, since this hypothesis only holds the road laboratory, scientists decided to base their research on data relating to the state of the sea. They analyzed 27,500 sewers of half-hour waves collected between 2003 and 2020 in the North Sea.
These statements describe the elevation of the sea surface with respect to the average level. The results of the analyzes have shown that the scoundrel waves are probably formed by a process called constructive interference. Such a phenomenon occurs when two or more waves align and combine to form a single great wave. This effect is amplified by the natural asymmetry of the waves: their crests are generally more pronounced and more abrupt than their hollows, more flat. Thus, these giant waves are formed when many small waves align and their steep ridges accumulate to form a single massive wave which briefly rises above its environment.
In addition, an amazing satellite image shows the immense power of 7 -storey waves monsters in Portugal.
