Killer wave: swell waves are not caused by local winds, but by strong distant winds | Chennai News

Expand

Wind waves are generated by direct local wind. They die out when the wind stops.

How swell waves are formed

As a storm intensifies, energy from the wind transfers to water, resulting in the formation of these very high waves. Swell waves travel thousands of kilometers from the center of the storm until they reach the coast.

These waves are different from a tsunami, which is caused by earthquakes under or near the oceans.

Why they are scary

They can damage structures along the coast and displace families.

Water may flow onto land and flood areas along the coast.

Recently, swell waves approached from the distant southern Indian Ocean.

They come from the South Atlantic, 10,000 km from the Indian coast.

The waves emerged after a low pressure area moved across the South Atlantic.

The system produced strong winds that formed waves up to 11 m high.

The waves then moved towards the southern Indian Ocean.

Dangerous

Five general practitioners of SRM Medical College in Trichy drowned at Ganapathipuram beach in Kanyakumari district while standing near the shore. The IMD had warned of a sharp increase along the south coast of Tennessee. Three people died in Kanyakumari district after being swept away by the powerful waves. Highest swell recorded A monster wave measuring 86 feet (26.21 m) was recorded on October 29, 2020 off Nazare, a fishing village in Portugal.

How wave increases are forecast Forecasts are made using a multi-model forecasting system based on numerical ocean models.

The models also use real-time data from buoys deployed in coastal waters, the open ocean and deep south of the Southern Indian Ocean.

The Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, issues swell warnings.

INCOIS has predicted wave heights of up to 3m on the east and west coasts, including Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.