Extreme waves in the southern Baltic Sea

Abstract

Freak waves are unique phenomena that appear unexpectedly on the ocean surface. These waves are not only a danger to fishermen and yachtsmen, but are also capable of damaging large vessels and offshore and coastal structures. The available field measurements that provide insight into the origin and physics of freak waves are very limited. The main objective of the present study was to analyze a unique set of wave data comprising 19,025 wind-wave records from the southern Baltic Sea to provide information on the occurrence, parameters, and prevailing conditions of the formation of freak waves. The complex nature of freak waves was investigated by obtaining spectral and statistical parameters of freak-wave-prone sea states using a wide set of tools. The study revealed a large number of freak-type waves, including waves over 12 m high. The study indicates that these hazardous waves may even exceed 20 m during severe storms in the Baltic Sea. Multi-point wind-wave measurements are needed to provide more information about the physics of freak waves and to eventually develop a prediction or warning system to avoid casualties.

Wave Height Distributions and Rogue Waves in the Eastern Mediterranean

“…The crest-to-trough symmetry found in almost all waves identified as rogue by the several commonly used thresholds is not a trivial finding. While comparison with previous reports from the area of the Eastern Mediterranean is currently impossible due to the lack of such reports, which was one of the motivations of this study, our findings are in clear contradiction with the available reports on rogue waves characteristics available from other parts of the world, [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. The rogue waves are commonly reported as having a high crest-to-trough amplitude ratio, indicating strong nonlinearity.…”

“…Pelinovsky et al (2001) [12] reported on a 10.32 m high rogue wave measured by a Datawell Directional Waverider buoy moored at 85 m at the Black Sea. Sulisz et al (2016) [13] analyzed data recorded by Datawell Directional Waverider buoy, moored at 20.5 m depth in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. During the 1996-2002 period they have found numerous waves answering rogue wave statistical thresholds, most reaching up to 6.2 m height, and the highest detected extreme waves of up to 12 m.…”

Natural Hazards and Extreme Events in the Baltic Sea region

“…Some studies have also been conducted on near-shore extreme waves; e.g. Gayer et al 1995, Paprota et al 2003, Sulisz et al 2016 discussed the formation of extreme waves and wave events along Polish and German coasts and reported a large number of freak-type waves. Although significant progress in understanding and prediction of ocean extremes and freak waves (e.g.…”