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Scientists Track Subsurface Waves the Size of Skyscrapers

posted by cmn32480 on Friday August 07 2015, @07:59AM   
from the subsurface-tsumani dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

A group of scientists from the University of Miami have been tracking waves of a different breed – unseen colossal, skyscraper-tall underwater waves that are present in every one of our oceans.

Subsurface waves, otherwise known as internal waves (IW) are initiated by the effects of Earth's gravity, and rarely ever break the surface. To understand an IW, imagine separating the ocean into layers of water that get denser and denser as you go farther down. An IW is like a surface wave that occurs on one of the lower strata of the ocean levels.

Internal waves move much slower than their exterior counterparts, and whilst the height of the surface ocean remains essentially unaffected, the water layers beneath rise and fall dramatically as these waves pass by.

There's so much energy in those oceans. If the engineering challenges could be overcome tapping the currents, tides, and waves like these could solve a big chunk of mankind's demand for power.

takyon: University of Miami source.

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Original Submission

• 9/11 Underwater! 9/11 Underwater! (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @08:13AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @08:13AM (#219467)

  Somebody crash a couple submarines into two subsurface subscrapers! OH NOES. And Don't Forget to talk about it for the next two fucking decades. 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 UNDERWATER!! OH FUCKING NOES! Never ever shut the fuck up about 9/11!!!

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• Re:9/11 Underwater! (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @08:22AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @08:22AM (#219471)

  Nobody mentioned 9/11, dickwad, you're the one who won't shut the fuck up.

  Parent