Ocean waves can vary enormously in size and character. In 1958, a sudden seismic rockslide into Lituya Bay, AK, triggered the largest-ever tsunami peaking at a height of 1,720 ft. Tsunamis, of course, are incredibly fast and destructive, and a significant threat to life and infrastructure. Identifying and analyzing tsunamis is vitally important for detecting, responding to, and designing communities to withstand their strikes.

In contrast, Earth’s rotation can produce Rossby waves, which are slow-moving, shorter, under 10 cm waves thousands of kilometers long that can take decades to cross the Pacific. While Rossby waves are subtle in their nature, they are tied to the development of El Niño and other ocean climate events with the possibility of altering weather patterns perhaps ten years or longer after they form.

Tsunamis can form with very little warning across vast areas of the planet and Rossby waves are very long yet cannot be identified by the naked eye. Both situations mean they are very difficult to easily detect. However, NASA has specialized instruments and platforms that can spot and provide details on these and other important ocean waves to give scientists, decision makers, and leaders the information they need for their research and planning.

Learn more by exploring our various ocean waves-related articles, tools, and datasets.