Rogue waves

Reality is probabilistic or, in common parlance, shit happens, always. In this case, it's rogue waves where wind, currents and weather combine to create monsters able to sink ships without question.

Also known as freak or killer waves, rogue waves are those that pop up suddenly as a great deal larger than others in a given set, posing serious danger to any ships or infrastructure unfortunate enough to be in the area. Researchers are reporting a record-setting new example of this phenomenon, with a four-story-tall rogue wave that occurred off the coast of Canada confirmed as the most extreme ever measured.

The record-setting rogue wave was measured off the coast of Ucluelet on Vancouver Island in November 2020 at a height of 17.6 meters (57.7 ft). Waves regularly reach greater heights than this, and some of are even ridden by thrill-seeking surfers such as those that descend on Nazaré in Portugal when the massive swells roll in each year.

But rogue waves earn their frightening reputation for their unpredictable nature, and are technically defined as being more than double the height of the waves around them. Unlike tsunamis that are largely caused by seismic activity, rogue waves take shape due to strong currents, winds and or storms that can cause separate waves to merge into a giant wall of water.

Scientists have claimed a new record for what's known as a "rogue" wave Depositphotos