Extreme waves, also known as rogue or freak waves, can develop suddenly in the ocean under otherwise calm conditions, potentially presenting a hazard to ships. Research on these waves has developed in recent years, and scientists are beginning to understand how these enormous waves form. One of the mechanism responsible for freak wave formation occur when two wave systems travelling in different directions hit each other, a condition known as a crossing sea. In a new study, we used wave tank experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the statistical properties of extreme waves in crossing seas. We found the number of freak waves that form depends on the angle at which two crossing waves hit each other.
