For centuries, rogue waves were considered just maritime folklore.. Only in 1995 did they turn from a widespread myth into a real fact: on the first day of the new year, a wave almost 26 meters high suddenly hit a drilling platform located 160 kilometers off the coast of Norway, writes Science Alert.
The so-called Drauper wave then challenged all previous models of researchers. Decades have passed since then, and during this time scientists have recorded dozens of other rogue waves.. Interestingly, some of them have even been found in lakes.
In November 2020, a giant rogue wave was recorded off the coast of British Columbia: it appeared out of nowhere and lifted a lone buoy off the coast to a height of 17.6 meters. Note that it took scientists just over two years to finally confirm the existence of a four-story wall of water and call it the most extreme rogue wave in the history of observations..
Note that the 2022 wave was not at all the tallest on record, but its relative size compared to the waves around it was unprecedented. Scientists define a rogue wave as any wave that is more than twice the height of surrounding waves. For example, the same Drauper wave reached a height of 25.6 meters, while the waves surrounding it were only about 12 meters high. By comparison, the Yuculet wave was almost three times larger than its peers. Proportionally, the Yuculet wave is the most extreme rogue wave on record, according to physicist Johannes Gemmrich of the University of Victoria.. Researchers note that previously they were able to observe only a few rogue waves in the open sea, and nothing of this scale. Moreover, scientists believe that only giant waves probably occur only once every 1,300 years or so.
Although some rogue waves have been recorded by scientists, researchers are still trying to figure out how they form.. It is expected that understanding the formation process of such waves will allow scientists to predict where and when they may occur.. Typically, scientists' research involves measuring rogue waves in real time, as well as running models of how they rise above the wind..
It is known that the buoy raised by the Yuculet wave was placed offshore along with dozens of other researchers from the MarineLabs Institute - thus they intended to learn more about the dangers hidden in the depths.
Scientists suggest that even rogue waves that originate far from shore can still destroy offshore operations, wind farms and oil rigs. If they are large enough, they could even put the lives of beachgoers at risk. Fortunately, neither Ucluelet nor Draupner caused serious damage or loss of life, but other rogue waves did.
In a 2020 study, scientists also found that changes in Earth's climate will likely lead to increased heights of rogue waves in the North Pacific Ocean.. This suggests that the Yuculet wave record may be broken soon. And an experimental study published last year suggests these monster waves could be four times higher than previously thought possible..
Previously, Focus wrote that giant rogue waves really exist, and scientists know when they will come.