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5 Wave Evolution in Non-uniform Currents in Deep Water
A list of cases when abnormal waves were observed up to 1973 is given
by Captain J. Mallory (Mallory, 1974), along with an analysis of the corresponding atmospheric and oceanographic conditions which accompanied
the appearance of the abnormal waves. In his article, Captain Mallory mentioned 11 cases of catastrophic ship collisions with abnormal waves in the
region (see Fig. 5.28). The conditions mainly came down to the conjunction
of south-westerly waves with the passage of an atmospheric cold front. In
fact, abnormal waves have appeared there more often and the consequences
of their action were less dramatic. This could be explained by the weather
conditions in the region, when ships had to reduce their speed thus diminishing the destructive effect of the wave action.
On April 27, 1985 the same thing happened to the Taganrogsky Zaliv,
a ship of the former Soviet Union. Using the information offered by the captain of the ship the accident will be analysed and mathematical simulations
will be produced with the help of the spectral theory of the interaction of
wind waves and currents.
Description of the accident. On April 27, 1985 at 01.01 pm ship time
(11.01 am GMT), the Soviet tanker-refrigerator Taganrogsky Zaliv 3 was subjected to an abnormal wave (the point of the accident is denoted by a circle
with a cross in Fig. 5.28). As a result, a sailor working on the foredeck was
mortally wounded and washed overboard.
The author of this monograph was invited as a wind waves expert to take
part in the work of the Commission of the Crimean Transport Prosecuting
Office, examining the incident (Lavrenov, 1985a). As a result of the Commission's investigation, a number of peculiar details concerning abnormal wave
generation was revealed. They were used later in mathematical modeling of
this phenomenon.
On the date under consideration, the Taganrogsky Zaliv tanker-refrigerator was sailing from the Indian Ocean to the south-east Atlantic. The possibility of encountering a weather storm is high enough near the Cape of
Good Hope that the ship was prepared for sailing in stormy weather. The
north-north-east wind was blowing at a speed of 7 ms- 1 . At 5 am, it changed
direction to south-south-west with the same force. Compared to the previous
day the atmospheric pressure was diminishing until the wind changed direction, after which it began increasing. At 8.00 am, the wind became stronger
and at 11.00 am it reached 15 ms- 1 . At midday the wave impact on the ship
was felt. A lifeboat was torn off, and two mooring-line reels were loosened
and washed into the water.
After 12.00, the wind speed diminished to 12 ms- 1 , and the wind sea
became calmer. The wind force did not change during the next three hours,
3 Taganrogsky Zaliv is a ship of unrestricted sailing radius. The vessel's length
is 164.5 m, the largest width is 22m, the displacement during the accident was
15,000 tons, and the board height above water was 7 m.
5 Wave Evolution in Non-uniform Currents in Deep Water
A list of cases when abnormal waves were observed up to 1973 is given
by Captain J. Mallory (Mallory, 1974), along with an analysis of the corresponding atmospheric and oceanographic conditions which accompanied
the appearance of the abnormal waves. In his article, Captain Mallory mentioned 11 cases of catastrophic ship collisions with abnormal waves in the
region (see Fig. 5.28). The conditions mainly came down to the conjunction
of south-westerly waves with the passage of an atmospheric cold front. In
fact, abnormal waves have appeared there more often and the consequences
of their action were less dramatic. This could be explained by the weather
conditions in the region, when ships had to reduce their speed thus diminishing the destructive effect of the wave action.
On April 27, 1985 the same thing happened to the Taganrogsky Zaliv,
a ship of the former Soviet Union. Using the information offered by the captain of the ship the accident will be analysed and mathematical simulations
will be produced with the help of the spectral theory of the interaction of
wind waves and currents.
Description of the accident. On April 27, 1985 at 01.01 pm ship time
(11.01 am GMT), the Soviet tanker-refrigerator Taganrogsky Zaliv 3 was subjected to an abnormal wave (the point of the accident is denoted by a circle
with a cross in Fig. 5.28). As a result, a sailor working on the foredeck was
mortally wounded and washed overboard.
The author of this monograph was invited as a wind waves expert to take
part in the work of the Commission of the Crimean Transport Prosecuting
Office, examining the incident (Lavrenov, 1985a). As a result of the Commission's investigation, a number of peculiar details concerning abnormal wave
generation was revealed. They were used later in mathematical modeling of
this phenomenon.
On the date under consideration, the Taganrogsky Zaliv tanker-refrigerator was sailing from the Indian Ocean to the south-east Atlantic. The possibility of encountering a weather storm is high enough near the Cape of
Good Hope that the ship was prepared for sailing in stormy weather. The
north-north-east wind was blowing at a speed of 7 ms- 1 . At 5 am, it changed
direction to south-south-west with the same force. Compared to the previous
day the atmospheric pressure was diminishing until the wind changed direction, after which it began increasing. At 8.00 am, the wind became stronger
and at 11.00 am it reached 15 ms- 1 . At midday the wave impact on the ship
was felt. A lifeboat was torn off, and two mooring-line reels were loosened
and washed into the water.
After 12.00, the wind speed diminished to 12 ms- 1 , and the wind sea
became calmer. The wind force did not change during the next three hours,
3 Taganrogsky Zaliv is a ship of unrestricted sailing radius. The vessel's length
is 164.5 m, the largest width is 22m, the displacement during the accident was
15,000 tons, and the board height above water was 7 m.