Rogue Waves151 Final Presentation

Veronica Heintz

Arise seemingly out of nowhere

Significantly higher than any other waves in the surrounding area The accepted ratio: 2-3:1

Vastly different than Tsunami waves Tsunamis caused by earthquakes on the seafloor,

not visible on the surface of deep water

Definition

Until recently, rogue waves were thought to be just tall tales of sailors No proof since they are so unpredictable “100 year waves” because of the probability of occurring

New Year’s Day, 1995-Daupner Platform (North Sea) wave height instrument was detecting waves ~ 5-7m (16-23ft), and suddenly registered a single wave almost 20m (66f)

2004- ESA used two satellites with radar to measure how frequent rogue waves are Results: Analysis of images of worldwide oceans during a 3

week period showed 10 waves of 25m (82ft) or higher

Myths?

8 feet- The height of the ceiling in an average room in your house

20-30 feet- The height of a typical two story house

50 feet- The height of each letter in the “HOLLYWOOD” sign

111 feet- The height from of the Statue of Liberty from the tip of her head to her feet.

Context

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8hOai9hGQ

Caught on Video

Constructive Interference Swells pass through others and occasionally

their crests and troughs coincide and reinforce each other

Causes: 3 Main Explanations

Strong Currents + Opposing Winds Ocean currents cause waves to "pile up" when

waves run into them head on Random currents and waves coming from more

than one direction can act like a lens, focusing the waves to produce larger amplitude waves

Gulf Stream (Bermuda Triangle), Agulhas current off the coast of South Africa

Causes: 3 Main Explanations

Nonlinear Effects of Water Waves Nonlinear water surface waves can be modeled after the nonlinear

Schrödinger equationThis equation is a classical field equation used to model plane waves (never describes the evolution of a quantum state)

Relation to optics Nonlinear effects in optical fibers are also modeled the same way: In

optical fibers, “the material properties are tuned to respond to the intensity of the incoming light to create a self-focusing effect, balancing the dispersive spreading of the light wave. This gives rise to optical solitons, light pulses that can cross large distances in a fiber without information loss” (5)

Causes: 3 Main Explanations

Take Away MessageThis is an extremely fascinating phenomenon that

possibly explains countless tragedies through human history. Research done to understand rogue waves and where they come from has the potential

to save lives!

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"Monsters of the Deep." The Economist. N.p., 17 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. http://www.economist.com/node/14446734 .

"Rogue Wave." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_wave>

"Rogue Wave' Is Large, Unexpected, and Dangerous." What Is a Rogue Wave? N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/roguewaves.html .

"Rogue Wave Recreated in Laboratory Tank." PHYS.ORG. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. http://phys.org/news/2011-05-rogue-recreated-laboratory-tank.html .

"Rogue Waves." National Geographic Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/news/rogue-waves/?ar_a=1 .

"Rogue Waves." What Is a Rogue Wave? NOAA, 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. <http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/roguewaves.html>.

"Viewpoint: Exciting Rogue Waves." Physics. APS Physics, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. http://physics.aps.org/articles/v2/86 .

"What Causes Rogue Waves?" Focus Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. http://sciencefocus.com/feature/environment/what-causes-rogue-waves.

References