They discover an explanation to the mystery of the giant waves
In the middle of the ninety, observations realised by satellites they demonstrated that this class of giant waves (that do not have anything to do with tsunamis) is much more common than it was believed in all the oceans of the world. One of most recent the past took place 24 of January of this same year. That day, the August buoy González de Linares, to the north of Santander, registered a wave from 26.13 meters, equivalent to a building of 8 floors, during a weather But the greater wave registered until the moment by a scientific instrument took place in February of the year 2000 and was measured by a British oceanographic ship in Rockall, to the west of the Scottish coasts. The wave had, until its crest. 29.1 meters of height.
Until the moment three types different from giant waves have been identified: the calls water walls that can travel tens of kilometers before undoing; the three brothers , thus called because they form of three in three; and tapeworms , that forms during a storm and can be up to four times greater than the rest of the waves to which they accompany, although lasts a few seconds.
During the past few years, and although the phenomenon already is taken very in serious on the part of the oceanographers worldwide, it has been tried, with little success, knowledge something more on these enormous masses of water who form without reason pretends in the open sea, without concerning the meteorological conditionses (can appear with the sea in complete calm) nor the dominant directions of the surge and sea currents (often, these waves travel in opposite direction of the others). Now, a detailed computer science simulation realised by North American oceanographers will allow to know where and when it is more probable that these giant waves form.
The most propitious places, according to the investigators, are the coastal areas in which abrupt variations in the depth of the waters occur and in which there are, in addition, forts sea currents. The simulation, developed by Tim Janssen, of the San Francisco State University, and by Thomas HC Herbers, of the Naval school of Monterrey, in California, publishes number of the magazine Physical Oceanography in the last.
According to the study, the combination between sand banks and sea currents can do that the waves change of direction and vary their speed, concentrating all their energy in a unique point that the scientists have denominated focal zone of the wave . Tim Janssen compares that zone with a species of magnifying glass, in which the light penetrates and focuses all the energy towards a concrete point. Of the same form, when a wave happens over, for example, a sandy bank, focuses all their energy towards a contreto point.
And it is indeed in these hot spots where the investigators have found that it is easier that giant waves form. In a current field of waves - the normal thing explains Janssen- is that three of each ten thousand waves are giant. But in a focal zone, the number can increase up to three of each thousands
In order to construct their model, the investigators introduced in the computer data of real waves. And they were repeating the experiment time and time again, using in each occasion variable different. The really important thing of our investigation - Janssen to the BBC- explains is that it is very easy to verify. Now we counted on a theory, a model of prediction, and can travel to different areas and to measure if the things happen thus or not .
To include/understand where and when it is easier that giant waves take place will be, from now on, helpful for navigation in seas worldwide and the construction of marine platforms (the other great ones affected) much more safe. If you know that a certain area is very prone to form giant waves - then Janssen- explains you will want to be far from her. Whatever it is in the open sea will want to have this class of information .
It leaves an answer