Monster wave is largest ever recorded in southern hemisphere
- 6 years ago
CAMPBELL ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND — New Zealand scientists claim a monster wave detected during a storm is the largest ever recorded in the southern hemisphere.
The BBC reports that according to the Meteorological Service of New Zealand, a solitary buoy measured a 78-foot wave in the Southern Ocean off Campbell Island on the night of May 9.
The massive wave is roughly the same height as an seven-storey building, and just a bit taller than five double decker buses stacked on top of each other.
It beat out the previous record holder — a 72-foot swell recorded in Tasmania in 2012.
The wave formed during a storm, in which the significant wave height or the average of the top third of waves measured from crest to trough reached over 48 feet.
Though a record for the Southern Ocean, larger wave heights have been identified in the northern hemisphere.
Scientists say it's possible the storm generated even bigger waves that weren't recorded by the buoy, which operates for only 20 minutes every three hours.
The BBC reports that according to the Meteorological Service of New Zealand, a solitary buoy measured a 78-foot wave in the Southern Ocean off Campbell Island on the night of May 9.
The massive wave is roughly the same height as an seven-storey building, and just a bit taller than five double decker buses stacked on top of each other.
It beat out the previous record holder — a 72-foot swell recorded in Tasmania in 2012.
The wave formed during a storm, in which the significant wave height or the average of the top third of waves measured from crest to trough reached over 48 feet.
Though a record for the Southern Ocean, larger wave heights have been identified in the northern hemisphere.
Scientists say it's possible the storm generated even bigger waves that weren't recorded by the buoy, which operates for only 20 minutes every three hours.