Nearly 80-Foot Tall Wave, Largest Ever, Recorded In Southern Hemisphere

[jpak]

Source: International Business Times

Scientists have documented what is believed to be the largest wave in the southern hemisphere off New Zealand coast Tuesday. The wave was 23.8 metres (78 foot), which is approximately the height of an eight-floor building. It wiped out the previous record of 22.3 meter set in south Tasmania in 2012.

The record was set during a powerful storm near Campbell Island in Southern Ocean, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) south of New Zealand. The wave was generated by a deep low-pressure system and wind speed exceeding 65 knots.

Senior oceanographer Tom Durrant said Southern Ocean is known for generating swell waves that move across the planet.

“The region accounts for about 22 percent of the planet's oceans, and it's the most energetic part of the world's oceans in terms of waves,” he added.

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Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/nearly-80-foot-tall-wave-largest-ever-recorded-southern-hemisphere-2680055

[sandensea]

1. A good omen, I'd say.

[riversedge]

2. IT'S THE BLUE WAVE!! 🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018 #VoteThemOUT 🌊🌊🌊

[NewJeffCT]

11. yes - 80 feet

for 80 seats

[bearsfootball516]

3. Surfs up!

[C_U_L8R]

4. Cowabunga !!

[JunkYardDogg]

12. Cowabunga, Cowabunga, Don't Step in the Cowabunga!!!!!!!

n/t

[C Moon]

5. If it's that large, they should consider converting it to an mp3.

[sdfernando]

7. Ha ha!

[Ferrets are Cool]

9. Oh my. How clever.

[FailureToCommunicate]

10. +1

[Achilleaze]

6. Dirty Donny* & KGOP repube comrades who have betrayed America will...

...get flushed.

* aka republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[canetoad]

8. The cool part about this is

The wave was measured by a single sensor buoy, southwest of New Zealand. It only activates for a part of each hour. There's no way of knowing whether there were even bigger waves that were not recorded.

[marble falls]

13. The more we know, the more we discover we don't know.

[BigmanPigman]

14. I watched a lot of videos taken by Japanese people when the tsunamis hit

after their earthquake. Depending on where you were and the shape and angle of the coastline you are on the waves vary greatly in height. At the locations where the tsunamis (there were several waves in a row) were largest they were measured at 30 meters or 100 feet high. It was incredible to watch them and their power and force.

[kairos12]

15. Hopefully to be topped by this fall's Blue Wave!

[mahina]

16. Since I can no longer post images here: Tehaupo'o

[SergeStorms]

17. The screaming 60s.

Mariners call this part of the world "the screaming sixties". Sixty degrees south latitude, where waves can circumnavigate the world never coming into contact with any land mass. It can create mammoth waves, and often does. This also includes Cape Horn, a notoriously deadly place where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. It's a white knuckle, "E" ticket ride (for those of you who remember the old lettered ticket system at Disney World).

I rounded the Cape once on a 70' sailboat with a crew of 16. I swore I'd never do it again on any type of watercraft. It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

[Hortensis]

18. Wow. Last year an 80-foot-wave off Portugal (northern hemisphere)

was ridden by a Brazilian surfer to set a new world record. 8 stories.