More heat in our atmosphere is likely to lead to stronger winds, which in turn are going to create bigger waves. This is likely to pose serious and inceased threats to shipping and coastal communities. The theoretical maximum wave height is 50 meters. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

26July 2004 - Rogue waves are believed to have sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships over the past two decades.
Long thought to be a myth, freak waves as high as 10-storey buildings are far more common than previously thought, the European Space Agency has found.

Three weeks of imaging data by the agency's satellites from early 2001 showed more than 10 individual giant waves around the globe of more than 25 metres in height. Previously, scientists believed that such large waves occurred only once every 10,000 years.
www.smh.com.au

The image on the left is from ERS-2 SAR sattellite data measuring wave heights in the Pacific Ocean, showing a wave of nearly 30 meter height..

In November 2002 the tanker 'Prestige' carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil encountered a heavy storm and it's hull was breached off the Spanish coast. The tanker was towed further away from the coast before it broke in half and sank several days later. Experts believe that the damage clearly visible in this image (on right) was caused by a very big wave. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

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The wave in the image above left was encountered by the 'Mariner' in 1993, the one on the right by the super tanker 'Esso-Languedoc' in 1980. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

The image on the left shows the damage sustained by the 'Wilstar' in 1974, when a giant wave slammed into the ship. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

19. Mai 2007 – 2000km of coast line from Sumatra to Bali were hit by unusually high waves, causing extensive damage to buildings and fishing boats. People ran for high ground for fear of another tsunami, but the giant waves were simply casued by strong winds over the Indian ocean.

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,483679,00.html

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Monster Waves

More heat in our atmosphere is likely to lead to stronger winds, which in turn are going to create bigger waves. This is likely to pose serious and inceased threats to shipping and coastal communities. The theoretical maximum wave height is 50 meters. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

26July 2004 - Rogue waves are believed to have sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships over the past two decades.Long thought to be a myth, freak waves as high as 10-storey buildings are far more common than previously thought, the European Space Agency has found.

Three weeks of imaging data by the agency's satellites from early 2001 showed more than 10 individual giant waves around the globe of more than 25 metres in height. Previously, scientists believed that such large waves occurred only once every 10,000 years.www.smh.com.au

The image on the left shows the damage sustained by the 'Wilstar' in 1974, when a giant wave slammed into the ship. www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft

19. Mai 2007 – 2000km of coast line from Sumatra to Bali were hit by unusually high waves, causing extensive damage to buildings and fishing boats. People ran for high ground for fear of another tsunami, but the giant waves were simply casued by strong winds over the Indian ocean.

M
onster Waves

26July 2004 - Rogue waves are believed to have sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships over the past two decades.
Long thought to be a myth, freak waves as high as 10-storey buildings are far more common than previously thought, the European Space Agency has found.

Three weeks of imaging data by the agency's satellites from early 2001 showed more than 10 individual giant waves around the globe of more than 25 metres in height. Previously, scientists believed that such large waves occurred only once every 10,000 years.
www.smh.com.au