The Draupner wave, also known as the New Year's wave or Draupner freak wave, was a rare rogue wave that was the first to be detected by a measuring instrument.
Background
The Draupner platform rig, located in the
North Sea and 16/11 offshore from
Norway, was built to withstand a calculated 1-in-10,000-years wave with a predicted height of and was fitted with state-of-the-art sensors, including a laser rangefinder wave recorder on the platform's underside.
Accompanying storm
On 31 December, a low pressure system was located over
Sweden, with a north-western motion. This system produced large waves over the North Sea, although none would be of significance. Early the next day, a polar low would form over the Norwegian portion of the North Sea, which produced heavy winds that would set up the formation of the Draupner wave.
Discovery
The wave itself was first detected at 15:24
UTC on 1 January 1995 by a downward-pointing
laser beam located on the Draupner S platform. The laser beam recorded a rogue wave with a maximum
wave height of . Peak elevation above still water level was . The reading was confirmed by the other sensors.
The platform sustained minor damage in the event.
In the area, the significant wave height at the time was about , so the Draupner wave was more than twice as tall and steep as its neighbors, with characteristics that fell outside any known wave model. The wave caused enormous interest in the scientific community.
Legacy
The wave, one of the largest ever documented in the
Atlantic Ocean,
helped solidify the initial speculation that rogue waves did naturally occur, and as a result the wave would be heavily studied in the years following the event.
See also
Notes and footnotes
Notes
Footnotes
Sources
