Latest Tim Janssen Stories

U.S. scientists believe they have made great headway in understanding what have been termed, freak waves. These rogue waves are relatively large and spontaneous ocean surface waves that are a major threat to large ships and ocean liners. They have a height of more than twice the significant wave height (SWH). They are not necessarily the biggest waves at sea, but they are incredibly large compared to the state of the sea.  U.S. oceanographers developed a computer simulation that might be...

Stories of ships mysteriously sent to watery graves by sudden, giant waves have long puzzled scientists and sailors. New research by San Francisco State professor Tim Janssen suggests that changes in water depth and currents, which are common in coastal areas, may significantly increase the likelihood of these extreme waves.Published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography, Janssen's wave model simulations show that focusing of waves by shoals and currents could increase the likelihood of a...