Four-storey wave in Ucluelet marks most extreme in recorded history

Feb 8 2022, 6:31 pm

A rogue wave the size of a four-storey building has won the title of the most extreme one ever recorded in the region, towering at 17.6 metres.

But never fear — it has since disappeared, with crest peaks measured on November 17, 2020.

Coastal intelligence company MarineLabs bestowed the title on the advice of University of Victoria experts Dr. Johannes Gemmrich and Dr. Leah Cicon.

Extreme rogue wave crest Ucluelet data

MarineLabs Data Systems/Submitted

Gemmrich is a physical oceanographer and Cicon is a master’s student specializing in rogue wave analysis and forecasting in BC. Gemmrich’s research focuses on the interaction between the atmosphere and oceans, small-scale processes in the upper layer of the ocean, and surface waves. 

Last week, they published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.

In order to be classified as a rogue, a wave must be more than twice the height of other waves occurring around it. 

“Also known as freak or killer waves, their tendency to occur unexpectedly and with huge force makes them especially dangerous,” says a statement from MarineLabs.

“The wave recorded by MarineLabs in Ucluelet was 17.6 metres in a sea state with wave heights of approximately 6 metres – nearly three times the size of the waves around it.

It’s the kind of thing that only happens once every millennium. Proportionately, Gemmrich said it’s likely the Ucluelet wave is the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, adding the probability of such an event taking place is once every 1,300 years.

MarineLabs Sensor Rogue Wave

MarineLabs Data Systems/Submitted

It was recorded by one of MarineLabs’ sensor buoys, about seven kilometres away from the Ucluelet shore. The buoy is just one of 26 the company has across North America, and they plan to double that number in 2022.

Dr. Scott Beatty, MarineLabs CEO, said the unpredictability and power of rogue waves can make them dangerous, so it’s important to analyze any relevant data to minimize the risk and predict rogue waves as far in advance as possible.

Beatty called the discovery of the Ucluelet wave “a thrilling indicator of the power of coastal intelligence to transform marine safety.”

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