Weird waves help model tsunamis' destructive potential: Once thought to be extremely rare, X- and Y-shaped waves with unusually high peaks regularly appear in ankle-deep water under certain conditions...
Linear interaction between ocean waves creates a peak that cannot be greater than the sum of the individual wave heights. But X- and Y-shaped waves are created when two waves hit each other at an angle, causing a non-linear interaction. That means their combined height can be more than the sum of the original peaks...
"People thought you might see them once every few years. The surprise is that they occur every day..."
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