On 13th December, 2007 (Wednesday), some researchers in the US concluded that the origin of giant sea waves can be studied by using light waves! For a considerably long period of time, these monster waves– which can have heights measuring that of a 8-storey building structure — were perceived as mythical objects with no genuine existence, until they were first observed near an oil platform in the North Sea during the middle of the 1990s.
Such massive sea waves can arise at any time unexpectedly, and can be destructive enough to batter any ship into pieces. They are very rare, but when they appear, can reach a height of 98 feet at the most. Daniel Solli, a physicist of the University of California, Los Angeles, believes that the formation of these gigantic waves can be analyzed with the help of light waves, which behave in a similar pattern as sea waves.
While researching on properties of light waves passing through glass, he discerned optical waves and short pulses of intense light, which were similar to such abnormal sea waves.
Subsequent to several rigorous experiments, he and his team of scientists established a striking similarity between mathematical equations that define these enormous water waves and the light waves. He concluded that the mammoth sea waves are just optical equivalent of the same physical effect that he was studying.
Further studies on the same light waves revealed that some kind of disturbance in a specific place of that physical system, transforms the normal light waves to the freak ones. Solli, thereby concluded that an analogous disturbance in the seas also result in the origination of these kinds of huge sea waves in an otherwise normal and placid sea.
Based on the success of this research, Solli is expecting to build up newer experimental models to aid scientists study and foresee the nature of the monster sea waves in years to come.
Source: Reuters