Wave spotting

Simulation pinpoints rogue waves

Scientists in the United States have made a major advance in their understanding of so-called 'freak waves' that present a major risk to shipping.

Oceanographers designed a computer simulation to help pinpoint exactly when and where these 'Perfect Storms' are most likely to occur: the simulation shows that coastal areas with varying depths in water depth and strong currents are the most likely spots.

A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times the length of other swells on the sea at any one time - these can be anything up to 60 feet.

The simulation was developed by Thomas HC Herbers of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and Tim Janssen of San Francisco State University and their findings were published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography.

"In a normal wave field, on average, roughly three waves in every 10,000 are extreme waves," Dr Janssen said. "In a focal zone (where rogue waves occur) this number could increase to about three in every 1,000 waves."

The knowledge could be used for marine weather forecasts and could also inform the design of offshore platforms.

"If you know that a certain area is very prone to freak waves, then you might wish to stay away from it," Dr Janssen said.