Height of the highest wave in the world. The highest wave in the world

In December 2004, a photo of the biggest wave in the world spread around all the publications of the world. On December 26, an earthquake occurred in Asia, which resulted in a tsunami wave that killed more than 235,000 people.

The media published photos of the destruction, assuring readers and viewers that there has never been a big wave in the world. But the journalists were cunning... Indeed, in terms of its destructive power, the tsunami of 2004 is one of the deadliest. But the magnitude (height) of this wave is quite modest: it did not much exceed 15 meters. History knows higher waves, about which one can say: “Yes, this is the biggest wave in the world!”

Waves-record holders

Where are the biggest waves

Scientists are sure that the highest waves are not caused by earthquakes (because of them, tsunamis are more often formed), but by ground collapses. That's why high waves are most often:

… And other killer waves

Not only giant waves are dangerous. There is a more terrible variety: single killer waves. They come from nowhere, their height rarely exceeds 15 meters. But the pressure they exert on all encountered objects exceeds 100 tons per centimeter (ordinary waves "press" with a force of only 12 tons). These waves are practically not studied. It is only known that she crumples oil rigs and ships like a sheet of plain paper.

The biggest waves in the world are legendary. The stories about them are impressive, the painted pictures are amazing. But many believe that in reality there are no such high ones, and eyewitnesses simply exaggerate. Modern methods of tracking and fixing leave no doubt: giant waves exist, this is an indisputable fact.

What are they

The study of the seas and oceans using modern instruments and knowledge made it possible to classify the degree of their excitement not only by the strength of the storm in points. There is another criterion - the causes of occurrence:

• killer waves: these are giant wind waves;
• tsunamis: arise as a result of the movement of tectonic plates, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions;
• coastal ones appear in places with a special bottom topography;
• underwater (seiches and microseiches): they are usually invisible from the surface, but they can be no less dangerous than surface ones.

The mechanics of the occurrence of the largest waves is completely different, as are the height and speed records set by them. Therefore, we will consider each category separately, and find out what heights they conquered.

killer waves

It is hard to imagine that a huge tall solitary killer wave really exists. But over the past decades, this statement has become a proven fact: they were recorded by special buoys and satellites. This phenomenon has been well studied in the framework of the MaxWave international project, created to monitor all the seas and oceans of the world, where satellites of the European Space Agency were used. And scientists used computer simulations to understand the causes of such giants.

An interesting fact: it was found that small waves are able to merge with each other, as a result of which their total strength and height are summed up. And when meeting with any natural barrier (shoal, reef), “wedging out” occurs, this further increases the strength of the waves of water.

Killer waves (they are also called solitons) arise as a result of natural processes: cyclones and typhoons change atmospheric pressure, its changes can cause resonance, which provokes the appearance of the highest water columns in the world. They are able to move at great speed (up to 180 km / h) and rise to incredible heights (theoretically up to 60 m). Although these have not yet been observed, the recorded data is impressive:

• in 2012 in the southern hemisphere - 22.03 meters;
• in 2013 in the north of the Atlantic - 19;
• and a new record: near New Zealand on the night of May 8-9, 2018 - 23.8 meters.

These highest waves in the world have been observed by buoys and satellites, and there is documentary evidence of their existence. So skeptics can no longer deny the existence of solitons. Their study is an important matter, because such a mass of water moving at great speed is capable of sinking any ship, even an ultra-modern liner.

Unlike the previous ones, tsunamis occur as a result of serious natural disasters. They are much higher than solitons and have incredible destructive power, even those that do not reach special heights. And they are dangerous not so much to those who are at sea as to residents of coastal cities. A powerful momentum during an eruption or earthquake raises giant layers of water, they are able to reach speeds of up to 800 km / h, and fall on the coast with incredible force. In the "risk zone" - bays with high coasts, seas and oceans with underwater volcanoes, areas with increased seismic activity. Lightning speed of occurrence, incredible speed, huge destructive power - this is how all known tsunamis can be characterized.

Here are a few examples that will convince everyone of the dangers of the highest waves in the world:

• 2011, Honshu Island: After an earthquake, a tsunami 40 meters high hit the coast of Japan, killing more than 15,000 people, and many thousands more are still missing. And the coast is completely destroyed.
• 2004, Thailand, the islands of Sumatra and Java: after an earthquake of magnitude more than 9 points, a monstrous tsunami with a height of more than 15 m swept across the ocean, the victims were in various places. Even in South Africa, people were dying 7,000 km from the epicenter. In total, about 300,000 people died.
• 1896, Honshu island: more than 10 thousand houses were destroyed, about 27 thousand people died;
• 1883, after the eruption of Krakatoa: a tsunami about 40 meters high swept from Java and Sumatra, where more than 35 thousand people died (some historians believe that there were much more victims, about 200,000). And then, at a speed of 560 km / h, the tsunami crossed the Pacific and Indian oceans, past Africa, Australia and America. And reached the Atlantic Ocean: in Panama and France, changes in the water level were noted.

But the biggest wave in the history of mankind should be recognized as the tsunami in Lituya Bay in Alaska. Skeptics may doubt, but the fact remains: after the earthquake on the Fairweather fault on July 9, 1958, a supertsunami was formed. A giant column of water 524 meters high at a speed of about 160 km / h crossed the bay and the island of Cenotaphia, rolling over its highest point. In addition to eyewitness accounts of this catastrophe, there are other confirmations, for example, uprooted trees on the highest point of the island. The most surprising thing is that the casualties were minimal, the crew members of one longboat were killed. And the other, located nearby, was simply thrown over the island, and he ended up in the open ocean.

coastal waves

The constant roughness of the sea in narrow bays is not uncommon. Features of the coastline can provoke high and rather dangerous surf. Unrest of the water element can initially arise as a result of storms, the collision of ocean currents, at the "junction" of waters, for example, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It should be noted that such phenomena are permanent. Therefore, we can name especially dangerous places. These are Bermuda, Cape Horn, the southern coast of Africa, the coast of Greece, the Norwegian shelves.

Such places are well known to sailors. It is not for nothing that Cape Horn has long enjoyed a “bad reputation” among sailors.

But in Portugal, in the small village of Nazare, the power of the sea began to be used for peaceful purposes. Surfers have chosen this coast, every winter a period of storms begins here and you can ride waves of 25-30 meters in height. It was here that the famous surfer Garrett McNamara set world records. The coasts of California, Hawaii and Tahiti are also popular with conquerors of the water element.

The largest wave in the world was recorded on July 9, 1958 in Alaska. Wave 524 meters high hit Lituya Bay.

A giant wave was formed as a result of an earthquake and the subsequent landslide. The power of the earthquake was 7.9 points, according to some sources 8.3 points (it was the strongest earthquake in the previous 50 years in this region). From a height of 1100 meters, 300 million cubic meters of rock, ice and stones fell on the bay. The speed of the resulting wave was 160 km / h, it practically destroyed the La Gaussi spit, which was in the path of the "giant", and the largest wave in the world uprooted trees.

At that time, there were three fishing ships in the bay, which were also destroyed. Luckily, the crews of the two ships managed to escape. 2 hours after the incident, not far from Lituya Bay, they were picked up by a rescue ship. However, the crew of the third vessel, consisting of two people, failed to escape, their bodies were never found.

In second place among the largest waves on Earth is 250 meter wave, formed on May 18, 1980 on the Spirit Lake (Spirit Lake) in the state of Washington (USA). The event began with an earthquake that collapsed part of the rock from the mountainside, as a result of which the heated liquid inside the volcano turned into steam and an explosion occurred, equal in power to 20 million tons of TNT.

In third place in the list of the most gigantic waves in the world, you can put 100 meters high wave, which was recorded in 1792 in Japan. It was formed as a result of the collapse of part of Mount Unzen (Unzen), the collapse occurred due to a powerful earthquake (6.4 points). A giant wave covered the nearby settlement. About 15 thousand people died.

Another tragedy associated with huge waves occurred on October 9, 1963 at the Vaiont dam in Italy (Belluno province). Big 90 meters high wave was formed as a result of the collapse of a huge stone massif with an area of ​​​​2 square meters in the reservoir. km. A giant wave went through the lower lying areas at a speed of about 10 m / s, washing away everything in its path. According to various sources, from 2 to 3 thousand people died, several settlements were completely destroyed.

According to many scientists, the largest waves in the world will not be formed as a result of earthquakes, but as a result of collapses of large mountain ranges on the coast or near water bodies. Scientists have already compiled a list of possible rock collapse areas and identify 4 main places:

1) Hawaiian Islands. Experts believe that landslides from local volcanoes could cause waves up to 1 kilometer high.

2) British Columbia (Canada). Some geologists believe that part of Mount Breckenridge could collapse into Harrison Lake, after which a large wave would form that could wash away the tourist town of Harrison Hot Springs (95 kilometers from Vancouver)

3) Canary Islands. The special attention of scientists (in particular, the English volcanologist William McGuire, the American seismologist Stephen Ward and others) is attracted by the island of La Palma with its chain of Cumbre Vieja volcanoes. Scientists say that as a result of the earthquake, a rock mass with an area of ​​​​500 cubic kilometers could collapse, which could form the largest wave in the world with a height of more than 1 kilometer, which will spread in a westerly direction. Predominantly hit the east coast of South and North America. Upon reaching cities such as Boston, Miami, New York, etc. wave height can be from 20 to 50 meters.

4) Cape Verde Islands (Cape Verde). The local steep cliffs can also pose a great danger.

There is also an interesting and still little-studied phenomenon in the world called "Killer Waves". These are huge single waves, the height of which is from 20 to 34 meters. The first officially recorded case of the appearance of a killer wave occurred on the Dropner oil platform on January 1, 1995, off the Norwegian coast. Its height was 25.6 meters.

Interestingly, killer waves appear out of nowhere, unlike the same tsunamis, which are caused by landslides and earthquakes. It is believed that killer waves arise due to their transformation while moving across the ocean, as well as the features of their own dynamics.

A feature of the killer wave is also that it exerts much more pressure on the object (ship, oil platform, etc.). One sq. a meter of surface experiences a pressure of 100 tons, while an ordinary wave 12 meters high exerts a pressure of 12 tons. One can imagine what a killer wave could do to a ship, given that most ships can only carry 15 tons.

Where do giant waves come from?

What causes the appearance of most waves in the oceans and seas, about the energy of the waves and about the most gigantic waves.

The main reason for the appearance of ocean waves is the influence of winds on the water surface. The speed of some waves can develop and even exceed 95 km per hour. Ridge from ridge can be separated by 300 meters. They travel great distances across the surface of the ocean. Most of their energy is used up before they reach land, perhaps bypassing the deepest place in the world- The Mariana Trench. And yes, they are getting smaller. And if the wind calms down, then the waves become calmer and smoother.

If there is a strong breeze in the ocean, then the height of the waves usually reaches 3 meters. If the wind starts to become stormy, then they can become 6 m. In a strong gale, their height can already be more than 9 m and they become steep, with abundant spray.

During a storm, when visibility is difficult in the ocean, the height of the waves exceeds 12 meters. But during a severe storm, when the sea is completely covered with foam and even small ships, yachts or ships (and not just fish, even the biggest fish) can simply get lost between 14 waves.

The beat of the waves

Large waves gradually wash away the shores. Small waves can slowly level the beach with sediment. Waves hit the shores at a certain angle, therefore, sediment washed away in one place will be carried out and deposited in another.

During the strongest hurricanes or storms, such changes can occur that huge stretches of the coast can suddenly transform significantly.

And not only the coast. Once upon a time, in 1755, very far from us, waves of 30 meters high blew Lisbon off the face of the earth, submerging the city's buildings under tons of water, turning them into ruins and killing more than half a million people. And it happened on a big Catholic holiday - All Saints' Day.

killer waves

The largest waves are usually observed along the Needle Current (or Agulhas Current), off the coast of South Africa. Here it was also noted highest wave in the ocean. Its height was 34 m. In general, the largest wave ever seen was recorded by Lieutenant Frederick Margo on a ship on its way from Manila to San Diego. It was February 7, 1933. The height of that wave was also about 34 meters. Sailors gave the nickname "killer waves" to such waves. As a rule, an unusually high wave is always preceded by the same deep depression (or dip). It is known that a large number of ships disappeared in such hollows-failures. By the way, the waves that form during the tides are not connected with the tides. They are caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption on the sea or ocean floor, which creates the movement of huge masses of water and, as a result, large waves.

What causes the appearance of most waves in the oceans and seas, about the destructive energy of the waves and about the most gigantic waves, and the largest tsunamis that man has ever seen.

The highest wave

Most often, waves are generated by wind: air moves the surface layers of the water column at a certain speed. Some waves can accelerate up to 95 km / h, while the wave can be up to 300 meters long, such waves travel huge distances across the ocean, but most often their kinetic energy is extinguished, consumed even before they reach land. If the wind subsides, then the waves become smaller and smoother.

The formation of waves in the ocean is subject to certain patterns.

The height and length of the wave depends on the speed of the wind, on the duration of its impact, on the area covered by the wind. There is a correspondence: the highest wave height is one seventh of its length. For example, a strong breeze generates waves up to 3 meters high, an extensive hurricane - up to 20 meters on average. And these are already truly monstrous waves, with roaring foam caps and other special effects.

The highest ordinary wave of 34 meters was noted on the territory of the Agulhas Current (South Africa) in 1933 by sailors from the American ship Ramapo. Waves of this height are called "killer waves": in the gaps between them, even a large ship can easily get lost and die.

In theory, the height of normal waves can reach 60 meters, but these have not yet been recorded in practice.

In addition to the usual wind origin, there are other mechanisms of wave formation. The cause and epicenter of the birth of a wave can be an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, a sharp change in the coastline (landslides), human activity (for example, testing a nuclear weapon) and even a fall into the ocean of large celestial bodies - meteorites.

The biggest wave

This is a tsunami - a serial wave that is caused by some kind of powerful impulse. A feature of tsunami waves is that they are quite long, the distance between crests can reach tens of kilometers. Therefore, in the open ocean, a tsunami does not pose a particular danger, since the height of the waves is on average no more than a few centimeters, in record cases - a meter and a half, but the speed of their propagation is simply unthinkable, up to 800 km / h. From a ship on the high seas, they are not noticeable at all. The tsunami acquires destructive power when approaching the coast: reflection from the coast leads to compression of the wavelength, but the energy does not go anywhere. Accordingly, its (wave) amplitude, that is, the height, increases. It is easy to conclude that such waves can reach much higher heights than wind waves.

The most terrible tsunamis occur due to significant disturbances in the relief of the seabed, for example, tectonic faults or shifts, due to which billions of tons of water begin to abruptly move tens of thousands of kilometers at the speed of a jet aircraft. Catastrophes occur when all this mass slows down on the shore, and its colossal energy first goes to increase the height, and eventually falls on land with all its might, a water wall.

The most "tsunami-prone" places are bays with high banks. These are real tsunami traps. And the worst thing is that a tsunami almost always comes suddenly: in appearance, the situation at sea can be indistinguishable from an ebb or flow, an ordinary storm, people do not have time or do not even think to evacuate, and suddenly they are overtaken by a giant wave. The warning system is little developed.

Territories with increased seismic activity are areas of special risk in our time. No wonder the name of this natural phenomenon is of Japanese origin.

The worst tsunami in Japan

The islands are regularly attacked by waves of various calibers, and among them there are truly gigantic, entailing human casualties. An earthquake off the east coast of Honshu in 2011 triggered a tsunami with a wave height of up to 40 meters. The earthquake is rated as the strongest in the recorded history of Japan. The waves hit the entire coast, together with the earthquake, they claimed the lives of more than 15 thousand people, many thousands went missing.

Another highest wave in the history of Japan hit the west of Hokkaido in 1741 as a result of a volcanic eruption, its height is estimated at 90 meters.

The biggest tsunami in the world

In 2004, on the islands of Sumatra and Java, the tsunami caused by a strong earthquake in the Indian Ocean turned into a massive disaster. Died, according to various sources, from 200 to 300 thousand people - a third of a million victims! To date, it is this tsunami that is considered the most destructive in history.

And the record holder for the wave height is named "Lutoya". This tsunami, which swept through Lituya Bay in Alaska in 1958 at a speed of 160 km / h, was triggered by a giant landslide. The wave height was estimated at 524 meters.

Meanwhile, the sea is not always dangerous. There are "friendly" seas. For example, no river flows into the Red Sea, but it is the cleanest in the world. .
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