VOA科学技术2023--New Data Shows Ocean Waves Getting Bigger, Stronger

New Data Shows Ocean Waves Getting Bigger, Stronger

An ocean researcher at the University of California, San Diego says waves are getting bigger and stronger since 1970. There are also more "big wave events" than ever before.

A big wave is about four meters tall or more.

Peter Bromirski at the university's Scripps Institution of Oceanography looked at seismic¹ records going back to 1931 in his research.

Seismic information is often used to measure the power of earthquakes. But Bromirski said large waves create enough energy to be measured by seismographs, also.

When large waves reach the shore, they bounce back and run into new waves. The crash sends energy through the ocean floor where it can be measured by seismographs.

Those measurements permitted Bromirski to judge the strength and size of waves over a period of 90 years.

Bromirski said he "stumbled³ upon" the seismographic information. Before the discovery, he said, "it was almost impossible" to compare waves from the past with those from the present.

It took a lot of work to put the data together. Much of the information was on paper. Bromirski and his team of student researchers had to put the information into a computer so they could examine the data. The slow process took years.

They found that the height of most waves in the winter along the California coast have grown by about 30 centimeters since 1970. Starting that year, waves of over 4 meters happened more often, as well. Between 1996 and 2016, the large waves happened twice as often as they did from 1949 to 1969.

Bromirski and his team published their research recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.

1970 is the year scientists believe the warming of the planet began to speed up. Bromirski says the new data shows that climate change is making ocean waves taller and stronger. That means they are more likely to damage the coast, roads and structures, such as piers⁵ and houses.

Bromirski said his research may be a warning that bigger and stronger waves are ahead. With more warming, sea levels will rise and waves will get stronger, causing flooding and more damage to land. The California coast has already been damaged by big waves in recent years.

Gary Griggs is an ocean researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He did not work on the study. He said a 30 centimeter increase in wave height over 50 years is not that large. However, the findings of the study support what scientists already know: waves are becoming stronger and causing more damage along coasts.

He said Bromirski's project adds to the data showing the world is warming fast and sea levels are rising.

"The challenge," he said, "is sort of how to really respond to that."

Words in This Story

seismic –adj. having to do with an earthquake or energy created by the shifting of the earth's surface

stumble² upon –phr v. a surprise discovery or unexpected encounter

pier⁴ –n. a long structure built in water that connects the shore to where boats dock⁶ and allows people to walk

challenge –n. a difficult task that takes hard work to complete

1 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

2 stumble   

n.绊倒，失策；vi.绊倒，失策，踌躇，无意中发现；vt.绊倒，困惑

参考例句：

• Be grateful to those who have made you stumble,for they have strengthened your ability.感激绊倒你的人，因为他强化了你的能力。
• You never knew when you might stumble across some new talent.谁也说不准什么时候会碰上一位新的天才。

3 stumbled   

v.（不顺畅地）说( stumble的过去式和过去分词 )；跌跌撞撞地走；绊脚；（说话、演奏等）出错

参考例句：

• I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。
• The child stumbled and fell. 孩子绊了一下，摔倒了。

4 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

5 piers   

n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩

参考例句：

• Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
• At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇，不论潮汐如何涨落，都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句

6 dock   

n.码头；被告席；vt.使(船)进港；扣；vi.进港

参考例句：

• We took the children to the dock to see the ships.我们带孩子们到码头去看轮船。
• The corrupt official stood in the dock.那贪官站在被告席上。