Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 13 hrs ago
Ucluelet wave was nearly three times the height of nearby waves
On November 17, 2020, a buoy about seven kilometres off Ucluelet, British Columbia, recorded a wave 17.6 metres high from trough to crest.
The wave was nearly three times the significant wave height around it, making it unusually large compared with its neighbours.
It was not as tall as the 1995 Draupner wave, but researchers say its relative size likely makes it the most extreme rogue wave recorded.
Their simulations suggest this wave formed when waves of different frequencies happened to overlap, rather than through a process that steadily amplifies waves within a group.
Rogue waves can threaten ships, offshore facilities and people near the coast because their size is hard to judge from nearby waves.
Researchers found a measure linked to wave crests and troughs that might help identify conditions with higher risk.
It cannot predict exactly when an individual rogue wave will strike, and calculations near shore remain less accurate than forecasts of ordinary wave heights.
A buoy off Ucluelet, British Columbia, recorded a wave on November 17, 2020, that was 17.6 metres high from trough to crest.
The wave was 2.9 times the significant wave height of the surrounding sea, making it unusually large relative to nearby waves.
Researchers describe it as likely the most extreme rogue wave recorded in proportion to its surroundings, although it was not the tallest wave on record.
Their analysis suggests the event was caused by the random overlap of waves, rather than mainly by wave-group instability.
Researchers say the findings may help identify conditions linked to rogue waves, but precise prediction remains an open question.
- Who
- Researchers studying rogue waves, including Johannes Gemmrich and Scott Beatty.
- What
- A buoy recorded a 17.6-metre rogue wave, nearly three times the height of the surrounding waves.
- When
- November 17, 2020.
- Where
- On Amphitrite Bank, about seven kilometres off Ucluelet, British Columbia.
- Why
- The wave’s cause was studied to improve understanding of when and how rogue waves form and the risks they pose.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A buoy off Ucluelet recorded a wave measuring 17.6 metres from trough to crest.
Johannes Gemmrich described the wave as likely the most extreme rogue wave recorded relative to surrounding waves.
Articles reported the finding and discussed researchers’ work to understand rogue waves and improve risk assessment.
- Wave height
- 17.6 metres from trough to crest
- Significant wave height
- 6.05 metres
- Relative height
- 2.9 times the significant wave height
- Location
- Amphitrite Bank, about 7 kilometres off Ucluelet
- Recorded
- November 17, 2020
What people are saying
Proportionally, the Ucluelet wave is likely the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded
The unpredictability of rogue waves, and the sheer power of these 'walls of water' can make them incredibly dangerous to marine operations and the public
The potential of predicting rogue waves remains an open question, but our data is helping to better understand when, where, and how rogue waves form, and the risks that they pose
Sources
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