Recently, satellites recorded the largest ocean swell ever seen from space. This highlights the fact that massive waves can actually act as a kind of messenger for storms. Tens of metres high waves can transmit the power of a storm across entire oceans.

SWOT mission

Surface Water and Ocean Topography is a mission that has allowed scientists to observe the waves that form during powerful storms. They are driven by the wind. The waves then carry their destructive energy to distant shores. But the storm itself is only happening somewhere in the middle of the ocean. It never reaches land. Scientists have been using several satellites to study how storm waves move, merge and evolve. The European Space Agency said in a statement.

The research team did not just work with data from several satellites such as Jason-3, SARAL, Copernicus Sentinel-3A and -3B, Coperninus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, CryoSat or CFOSAT. The data are combined with decades of CCI Sea State project records, which include measurements going back to 1991.

━━ ( Source: NASA Hubble Space Telescope /  Unsplash+ )

Important data for shipping

Technologies that detect extreme waves are important and useful especially for maritime safety. Accurate detection of huge waves can help predict storms more reliably. Navigators can then choose a different sailing route in time to avoid areas with a higher probability of extreme sea conditions. The advancement opens up the opportunity not only to alert ship navigators.

There’s more. The new information can also help with coastal construction planning. After all, coastal infrastructure depends on safety margins. The new knowledge thus changes the basis of calculation and also the type of protection used. The emphasis shifts to reducing damage in areas where the sea can behave unexpectedly.

How waves are measured

Special instruments can identify changes in the water level. They record water fluctuations and can quantify extreme events anywhere in the ocean. Continuous measurements then allow you to see patterns in ocean weather. The data can then be easily used just for planning. Satellites can now detect high waves and record events that were difficult to verify in detail in the past. Having this new information will make it easier to protect lives and reduce losses in naval operations.

Why giant waves form

Nothing that happens on planet Earth happens by accident. Of course, giant waves in the middle of the ocean are no accident either. They can be logically explained. They form when storms and winds accumulate energy over large bodies of water. Over and over again, they build up their strength until they form huge formations. The combination depends on a combination of factors. The result is a surge that can create, without exaggeration, a great wall of water in the middle of the ocean.