ROGUE WAVES
A rogue wave is a wave that is greater than twice the size of the surrounding waves, comes from an unexpected direction, and is often very unpredictable.
These massive waves have many nicknames, some of which include killer waves, freak waves, monster waves, and extreme waves.
Rogue waves have played a significant part in maritime folklore, but have only recently been confirmed by scientists in the past few decades.
Some scientists believe that rogue waves occur when a large group of waves hit a strong ocean current head-on. The ocean current, movement of the wave, and speed of the wind cause the waves to “pile-up” and form one massive wave that becomes, essentially, a wall of water traveling across the ocean.
Rogue waves differ from tsunamis because tsunamis are triggered by underwater volcanic eruptions or earthquakes and rogue waves are less predictable because they are formed by currents and wind.
WAVES
Waves are made by the wind. As wind moves across the water, it causes friction which creates energy that forces the water to shift.
Water doesn’t move with the wave. The wave passes through the water, forcing the water up to the peak of the wave, and back down.
People often believe that waves move water, but it is actually ocean currents that move water.
The peak of a wave is called the crest while the lowest point of the wave is called the trough.
Waves with a longer wavelength travel at a much faster speed than waves with a shorter wavelength.
Not all waves are created equal. In fact, there are several different types of waves, and each one is based on where they are located, their speed, how the waves crash, and their size.
The largest wave ever surfed was 80 feet tall and the tallest wave ever recorded by scientific instruments was 100 feet tall.