# Do "Soliton" Waves Exist on the Open Sea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869 "2002-08-01T14:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/1 "2002-08-01T14:03:07Z")
I have heard that due to a conjunction of rare conditions, several small waves can combine to form a “superwave” of ungodly height. Just such a wave was reported by the captain of a US Navy ship (the USS RAMAPO), before WWII. Are these superwaves “soliton” waves? And, can they reach heights over 100 ft. in the open oceans? Could such waves explain the mysterious disappearence of ship? I remeber readin about the American author/adventurer of the 1930’s (Richar Halliburton). He disappeared in the middle of the Pacific, while sailing a chinese junk to California. Anybody know more about suprwaves?😕 ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/2 "2002-08-01T14:34:29Z")
Soliton waves were first discovered by John Scott-Russel in 1834. Basically, a soliton wave is a wave that maintains its shape and speed over long distances, and (was) first observed over water. [link](http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~kirk/optics.htm) Not that I’m a mathematican, sailor, optics guy or anyone else who would know about these things. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/3 "2002-08-01T14:36:00Z")
And of course that first paragraph _is_ a quote… ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/4 "2002-08-01T22:13:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\*I have heard that due to a conjunction of rare conditions, several small waves can combine to form a “superwave” of ungodly height. Just such a wave was reported by the captain of a US Navy ship (the USS RAMAPO), before WWII. Are these superwaves “soliton” waves? And, can they reach heights over 100 ft. in the open oceans? Could such waves explain the mysterious disappearence of ship? > I remeber readin about the American author/adventurer of the 1930’s (Richar Halliburton). He disappeared in the middle of the Pacific, while sailing a chinese junk to California. > Anybody know more about suprwaves?😕 \*\* I believe you are talking about what are called **rogue waves.** Sebastian Junger has a chapter that deals in part with them in The Perfect Storm. Basically, you will be having 4-8 foot seas, when out of nowhere you get nailed with a 20+ foot high wave, which can ruin your weekend **REALLY** quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/5 "2002-08-01T23:19:27Z")
You need walls to contain a soliton, like the walls of the canal where John Scott-Russel first saw his soliton. Likely there cannot be one in open sea. ---
**Author:** ![taggert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@taggert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taggert)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/6 "2002-08-01T23:51:57Z")
rogue waves have been observed and videotaped up to 30 meters in height when compared to the bow of ships. There is also a sailor’s legend of such rogue waves coming in threes, when they are called “the three sisters”. ---
**Author:** ![UNIMATRIXONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UNIMATRIXONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UNIMATRIXONE)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/7 "2002-08-02T03:31:21Z")
Quote; Taggert * * * rogue waves have been observed and videotaped up to 30 meters in height when compared to the bow of ships. There is also a sailor’s legend of such rogue waves coming in threes, when they are called “the three sisters”. * * * I have seen a documentry on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald ( a big frickin ship ) in The Great Lakes. ( I dont remember which lake ) I do remember that the sisters are a result of a narrowing of the shore line. Meaning that the ends of the lake ( could be any shoe line, ocean or lake ) are not as wide as the center. ( V shape ) So the waves compress and grow. Also, waves are also determined by the floor of the body of water. Do a search for Tsunami ---
**Author:** ![taggert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@taggert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taggert)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soliton-waves-exist-on-the-open-sea/121869/8 "2002-08-02T06:36:05Z")
The Edmund Fitzberald sunk on Lake Superior, the largest of the great lakes. The documentary I saw suggested that the Three Sisters were encounterable on the open ocean. This was not a documentary on Tsunamis.