Wowwwwwwwwwwww

[Zahasha]

We Druids like to keep an eye out on Earth events and news.........

Found this fascinating...................

Freak waves spotted from space
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3917539.stm


Esa tasked two of its Earth-scanning satellites to monitor the oceans with
their radar

The shady phenomenon of freak waves as tall as 10 storey buildings had
finally been proved, the European Space Agency (Esa) said on Wednesday.

Sailors often whisper of monster waves when ships sink mysteriously but,
until now, no one quite believed them.

As part of a project called MaxWave - which was set up to test the rumours
- two Esa satellites surveyed the oceans.

During a three week period they detected 10 giant waves, all of which were
over 25m (81ft) high.

Strange disappearances

Over the last two decades more than 200 super-carriers - cargo ships over
200m long - have been lost at sea. Eyewitness reports suggest many were
sunk by high and violent walls of water that rose up out of calm seas.

But for years these tales of towering beasts were written off as fantasy;
and many marine scientists clung to statistical models stating monstrous
deviations from the normal sea state occur once every 1,000 years.

"Two large ships sink every week on average," said Wolfgang Rosenthal, of
the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht, Germany. "But the cause is never
studied to the same detail as an air crash. It simply gets put down to 'bad
weather'."

To prove the phenomenon or lay the rumours to rest, a consortium of 11
organisations from six EU countries founded MaxWave in December 2000.

As part of the project, Esa tasked two of its Earth-scanning satellites,
ERS-1 and ERS-2, to monitor the oceans with their radar.

The radars sent back "imagettes" - pictures of the sea surface in a
rectangle measuring 10 by 5km (6 by 2.5 miles), which were taken every
200km (120 miles).

Around 30,000 separate imagettes were produced by the two satellites during
a three-week period in 2001 - and the data was mathematically analysed.

Esa says the survey revealed 10 massive waves - some nearly 30m (100 ft) high.

"The waves exist in higher numbers than anyone expected," said Dr Rosenthal.

Wave map

Ironically, while the MaxWave research was going on, two tourist liners
endured terrifying ordeals. The Breman and the Caledonian Star cruisers had
their bridge windows smashed by 30m waves in the South Atlantic.

Impression of a freak wave, BBC
Sailors often whisper of monster waves when ships sink mysteriously
The Bremen was left drifting for two hours after the encounter, with no
navigation or propulsion.

Now that their existence is no longer in dispute, it is time to gain a
better understanding of these rogues.

In the next phase of the research, a project called WaveAtlas will use two
years' worth of imagettes to create a worldwide atlas of freak wave events.

The goal is to find out how these strange cataclysmic phenomena may be
generated, and which regions of the seas are most at risk.

Dr Rosenthal concluded: "We know some of the reasons for the rogue waves,
but we do not know them all."
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"It is good to have an end to journey towards:
but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~Ursula K Le Guin

[Talos Thornweaver]

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Talos Thornweaver
<< Storm Warden of Tunare >>

[Jenny]

That is a very original thought.
_________________

"Enough about me, let's talk about my dress."

[Talos Thornweaver]

Thanks, Jenny. Can you believe that? Nature is a mysterious and powerful thing.
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Talos Thornweaver
<< Storm Warden of Tunare >>

[Jenny]

When is Nature not a mysterious and powerful thing?
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"Enough about me, let's talk about my dress."

[Talos Thornweaver]

That what I am saying?!?!?! Sheesh.
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Talos Thornweaver
<< Storm Warden of Tunare >>

[BonlainyT]

I read this yesterday and meant to post, but being old I forgot.

Great link Zaha, I know the ocean fascinates me more than almost anything, just imagine what is lurking at the depths, shiver. These rogue waves are nothing short of astounding, I hope they find a way to detect them and maybe save some ships and their crews.
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Xecutioner Smith(retired) Dread Lord of Walkers
Bonlainy Trueheart(retired) Lord Protector of Walkers

[Zahasha]

Ya, a couple of days ago I spoke to a Druid in EQ who's real life long dream is to sail the ocean........ He is actively persueing his dream!

Then I came across this
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~* *~

"It is good to have an end to journey towards:
but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~Ursula K Le Guin

[Jenny]

Good reasoning. Where are you going?
_________________

"Enough about me, let's talk about my dress."

[Zahasha]

Ya, a couple of days ago I spoke to a Druid in EQ who's real life long dream is to sail the ocean........ He is actively persueing his dream!

Then I came across this

I hope He continues to follow his dreams.........
but skirts coast lines
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~* *~

"It is good to have an end to journey towards:
but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~Ursula K Le Guin