(Phys.org)—Rogue waves in the middle of the ocean often appear out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly. But in their short lifetimes,they can generate walls of water 15 to 30 meters (50 to 100 feet) high, crashing down with enough force to sink even the largest ships. Although scarce, and when rogue waves accomplish occur they often take ships by surprise because their formation is not well-understood,and so they are difficult to detect in advance.
Source: phys.org