“Southern Ocean waves are described by sailors as ‘liquid Himalayas’ and remain largely unstudied, including our ability to forecast them,” said researcher Sally Garrett of the New Zealand Defence Force, shortly after the buoy was launched.
“Accurate measurements of these conditions will help us understand waves and air-sea interactions in these extreme conditions,” Durrant said, referring to the new buoy. “This, in turn, will lead to improvements in the models used to simulate the waves, providing better forecasts, both for the Southern Ocean and for the wider region.” Read More