@BOOK{NAP11635, editor = "Craig B. Smith", title = "Extreme Waves", doi = "10.17226/11635", abstract = "Waves are hypnotic and beautiful. They can also be great fun.\nBut Hurricanes Katrina and Rita taught us that they can be\npowerful and deadly while the 2004 tsunami proved that some\nwaves are absolutely devastating. Science is the best\ntool for understanding and predicting the most\nextreme waves.\nWhere do waves come from? Why are some big and\nsome small? From winter to summer, the nature of the\nbeach changes, sculpted by the tireless energy of\nwaves. Most waves are simply rhythmic expressions of Earth\u2019s movement\nthrough space and the changes they bring to our shorelines are\ngradual. But given the right weather conditions and combination of\nnatural forces, waves can wreak havoc.\nThese are extreme waves, waves that can stretch 100-feet\nhigh\u2014posing an imminent threat to large sea vessels and\ncoastal structures. There are even waves that have stripped\ntrees from mountains as they surged to an estimated 1,700\nfeet high. But even smaller waves are dangerous to ships\nand coastlines. Indeed, the lessons of the 2004 Bay of\nBengal tsunami and the damage wrought by recent tidal\nsurges in New Orleans underscore the need for better\ntracking and prediction of extreme waves.\nExtreme Waves is a fascinating history of waves.\nCovering both the headline stories as well as incidents\nthat are less well-known but equally startling Craig\nSmith, author and amateur sailor, will have you riveted\nfrom the first chapter to the last.\n", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11635/extreme-waves", year = 2006, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" }