Every surfer has heard about the most gigantic waves on the planet. These are the waves of Nazaré They're considered a type of gigantic wave that has broken Guinness World Records for size. Beastly waves that every surfer dreams of at some point. However, why do these gigantic waves occur?
In this article we are going to tell you what the waves of Nazaré are and why they occur.
What are the waves of Nazaré
Nazaré is a very small but quite beautiful town where mainly fishermen live. Is found in the Portuguese area about 100 kilometers north of Lisbon. Not until many years ago was it unknown to most people. However, today this place is well known since there are the places where gigantic waves break. And it is that these waves are capable of breaking in front of its lighthouse and have an enormous size.
It is not only famous for surfers, but by all kinds of travelers and tourists unrelated to this sport. And this is about the biggest waves ever surfed, considered true mountains of water. Many people wonder why this type of waves happen in this location. Let's explain this in a simple way.
It's important to know that many waves are formed by the depth differences that exist in marine morphology. We know that ocean currents are driven by wind and differences in water temperature or salinity. Therefore, when there are large differences in depth between the continental shelf and the canyon, there is a flow of water that causes large waves to form. If you'd like to learn more about this phenomenon, you can consult our section on surf.
The Nazaré canyon is considered to be the deepest marine gorge on the entire European coast and one of the deepest in the world. SIts extension covers about 230 kilometers and a depth of 5.000 metersWhen a powerful swell hits the coast of Nazaré, a curious event occurs involving several factors: the tidal surge, the continental shelf, and the coastal current. As a result, the world's largest waves are formed. If you're interested in learning more about wave formation, you can visit our page on Giant waves of Nazaré, formation and characteristics.
Formation of the waves of Nazaré
When the waves head toward the shore of this town, they usually grow rapidly, as two geomorphological variables cause them. These geomorphological variables, which are basically the morphology of the marine area and the wind speed, are what cause these types of giant waves to occur. To better explain this, let's imagine that the Atlantic Ocean, being very deep, Suddenly, he comes across a "step" that reduces the depth of the ocean almost suddenly.This change in ocean depth causes the swell to compress and project upward.
Furthermore, another aspect that generates this type of giant waves is that a water current is channeled along the coast from north to south. This same water current comes in the direction of the incoming waves and contributes to further increasing the height of the waves that reach the coast. For greater effect, the back wave, also known as water projected from the beach toward the sea, will increase the height of the incident waves by a few meters. All these types of variables and situations make The waves of Nazaré hold a Guinness World Record for the largest waves ever surfed.
It can be said that the formation of this type of giant waves has a chain reaction. The first is the difference in depths of the marine morphology. That is, there are rocky areas and seamounts that have different attitudes, which contrast the speed and depth at which the waves arrive and change that depth in turn. This difference in depth triggers an increase in wave height, and when the swell converges with the canyon, the local water current increases. The last link in the chain is the counterwash that helps to further increase the level and height of the wave.
How are coastal waves predicted?
If you're a surfer who travels to different parts of the world to catch big waves, predicting those waves becomes important. However, measuring waves in the open ocean is a more difficult task than it seems. This is because there are variations in height recorded by the buoys, which make it impossible to distinguish each wave individually. All the buoys overlap, and the waves come from different directions. As a result, open ocean swells were used and measured using statistical patterns. That is, measurements are used to average wave sizes.
However, predicting wave height in coastal areas is a more straightforward process. Waves adopt a preferred direction as they approach land. The separation between different waves is better defined on the open ocean coast. Therefore, the size of Nazaré's waves can be easily measured and the specific depth of the waves can be estimated. To achieve this, mathematical models are used that take into account several parameters, such as: the strength of the wind and the direction in which it blows. You must also take into account some variables such as the state of the tides, the bottom swell and the underwater topography of the area in question.
These models are unable to accurately predict the height of each individual wave. They only provide a figure that reflects the general height of waves when they reach the coast. As mentioned before, statistical data are used that combine all the data obtained using averages to create what is known as a Gaussian bell curve.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the waves of Nazaré.