Wave height and period are significant factors that voyaging sailors need to take into account when making a passage. This article looks at how waves form and how voyagers can use forecast info to help determine the location of big waves and avoid them. [gtx_gallery] The primary driver for wave generation over the oceans is the force of the wind on the surface of the water. This force displaces surface water horizontally, which also results in a vertical displacement. Gravity then works to return the vertically displaced water back to an equilibrium level, and this leads to waves that propagate…
Read More