Extreme Waves

by Craig B. Smith

Book Overview

Waves are hypnotic and beautiful. They can also be great fun. But Hurricanes Katrina and Rita taught us that they can be powerful and deadly while the 2004 tsunami proved that some waves are absolutely devastating. Science is the best tool for understanding and predicting the most extreme waves. Where do waves come from? Why are some big and some small? From winter to summer, the nature of the beach changes, sculpted by the tireless energy of waves...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0309100623
• ISBN13: 9780309100625
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Joseph Henry Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Just About Everything on Ocean Waves

The author, an ardent sailor, has written a book on just about everything anyone would ever want to know about water waves. This amazing book covers everything from how waves are formed, what makes them grow, how they move and interfere with each other, to their impact on ocean-going vessels and man-made structures along the coasts. Storms, hurricanes, tsunami and swells are all discussed as are freak, rogue and giant (extreme) waves. Scientists' efforts in trying to develop models to better predict the occurrences of extreme waves are also discussed. Keeping marine jargon to a minimum, the author recounts various extreme wave-related sea disasters that have occurred mainly in the recent past; these stories, some told by the survivors, are absolutely gripping. The prose is very friendly yet authoritative, clear and very engaging. This book will appeal to seasoned mariners or landlubbers like me who are fascinated by huge ocean waves: their nature, their causes and their possible effects.

Smith Does It Again

Craig Smith has produced another great book. His previous work, "How The Great Pyramid Was Built," analyzed the original construction of the Great Pyramid in Egypt using modern engineering principles and tools. His explanations and conclusions in that book were crisp and credible. Reading it was a pleasure. His new book,"Extreme Waves," demonstrates again his ability to take a complex subject and explain it to ordinary people, without losing them in a fog of technical jargon. Nearly two years ago a massive tsunami raged through the Indian Ocean, leaving at least 250,000 people dead. Although this may have been the deadliest "extreme wave" in recent memory, it is surely not alone. Every year, hundreds of vessels, large and small, are sunk by massive walls of water striking without much warning. Smith's book removes the mystery from these waves. He explains how they form, how they differ, where they can be expected, and how they distroy property and kill people. Smith is an engineer and a sailor and a fine storyteller. He uses these personal skills to weave together a great tale of huge waves crisscrossing the oceans creating havoc in the shipping lanes and mayhem on the shores. Many of the pieces of this story are made clear by Smith's skillful recounting of his personal sailing experiences or those of mariners who know "Extreme Waves" because they have encountered them in person. In other sections of the book, Smith aids our understanding by adding to the narrative useful examples taken from "real life" of ships sunk and lives lost. In still other portions, Smith lets the scientists and safety experts tell their stories in their own words. Although "Extreme Waves" is downright scary in places, this is not an "alarmist" tract, calculated to raise our fear level and keep us out of the oceans and off the shores. Using all the latest knowledge gained from satelites, ocean research, and shipping records, Smith explains the statistics of these waves and the safety issues that they raise. He offers concrete suggestions on how to resolve these issues. All-in-all, Craig Smith has delivered a great book on a very timely subject.