Freak waves spotted from space
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.
I don’t know why but I love the idea of huge waves spontaneously appearing in the middle of the ocean. The unknowable power of Mother Nature. Why are governments spending billions of dollars exploring the Universe when we don’t know enough about our own planet?
Tags: nature
