And no doubt more than one ship has been lost to these. LiveScience reports:
Source: FindLatitudeAndLongitude.com
A monstrous swell in the North Atlantic that rose up as high as a six-story building is now the world‘s tallest wave measured by a buoy, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The wave crashed down the morning of Feb. 4, 2013, in the watery expanse between Iceland and the United Kingdom, at approximately 59 degrees N, 11 degrees W. It occurred after a strong cold front passed through the area, producing winds of up to 50.4 mph (43.8 knots), the WMO reported. …
The WMO added that the new record isn’t from one wave, but rather an average of 10 to 15 wave heights, which “is a more reliable measure of wave height than that of a single wave,” said Randall Cerveny, a scientist at the WMO. “Of course, maximum waves have been recorded up to 29 meters [95.1 feet],” Cerveny told Live Science, but the WMO began using averages in 2007 so that their records would be more accurate, he said.
I suspect we don’t have enough data to see maximum wave sizes plotted against time and make any sensible conclusions in concert with climate change. But it’s an interesting thought.
