Waves

Freak waves spotted from space.  Surf that!

The shady phenomenon of freak waves as tall as 10 storey buildings had finally been proved, the European Space Agency (Esa) said on Wednesday.  Sailors often whisper of monster waves when ships sink mysteriously but, until now, no one quite believed them.  As part of a project called MaxWave - which was set up to test the rumours - two Esa satellites surveyed the oceans.  During a three week period they detected 10 giant waves, all of which were over 25m (81ft) high.  Over the last two decades more than 200 super-carriers - cargo ships over 200m long - have been lost at sea. Eyewitness reports suggest many were sunk by high and violent walls of water that rose up out of calm seas.