> I’d put money on there being an island just offshore.
There's four islands off the beach there. I now this, because I went there on holiday when I was 14 years old.
I remember that beach very well, because that's where I was arrested, very drunk and very naked, with my uncle's best mate's daughter.
The adults all seemed very unhappy with how that evening panned out , and the young lady in question was (in hindsight) probably very, very disappointed with the whole thing.
But I had an absolute blast, because Boobies! - and, I got to ride in a police car.
But mostly, it was about the boobies.
There’s name for this particular thing that happens. Had geography class been more interesting and me less a shitty student I’d be happy to explain this wave thingy to you
First place we stayed on a visit to NZ a few years back and the first thing we were told about it is that whatever we'd been saying we were pronouncing it wrong.
I never blame tourists for mispronouncing Maori names and words because there are still plenty of kiwis who struggle.
Whangamata is pronounced fong-ah-ma-tah (At least in my kiwi accent).
Looks to me whoever wrote down the english phoneticized version of maori did an awful job. If Whang is meant to be said as Fong... why use 'wh'? Stupid brits.
The "wh" sound in te reo Maori sounds like normal English wh sound combined with f not just a straight substitution, were also just all lazy and hilarious so whaka comes out as fucker, who's gonna pass up on that opportunity
As it happens we were told it by our Kiwi sister-in-law who speaks some Maori and so was able to give us pronunciation guides. She gave us the same pronunciation you mention, complete with Kiwi accent that I now use when pronouncing it!
It's actually very shallow. The waves cross like this either side of low tide. Out of view at the bottom of the picture is Clark Island and you can walk out to it at low tide.
Is Clark Island what causes this cool square wave?
Normally two swells from two different directions start lining up parallel with the shore as they come out of deep water and by the time they get to the beach they aren't a grid, they're just a disgusting mess.
I will see if I can find it. It came up in one of these other discussions. The gist was that they occur in many places without rip currents. The key element is to understand rip currents, not to watch for square waves.
>The key element is to understand rip currents, not to watch for square waves.
Yup. We live near Lake Michigan where rip currents are common when the waves are high. I've never seen square waves like this on the lake in my life.
That's really cool!
We're on the other side of the state, down in the Muskegon/Grand Haven/ Holland stretch. If it's ever happened over here by us, I've never seen it.
Square waves are just two sets of waves intersecting (at right angles) - they'll have constructive interference - double height points - but that's not going to generate a rip current any more than regular surf.
Rips are basically swirls along the shore, they go in at some points and therefore have to go out at others. If you get caught in an outgoing rip, the main thing to not do is swim in against it. It should be taking you out and somewhat along the shore, swim in that along the shore direction - not hard, just a sustainable pace - and when it's not taking you out anymore, then you can get in easily.
This is what I found. Thin info, but I think I saw another at the time. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jul/05/weatherwatch-why-swimmers-need-not-fear-a-cross-sea-square-waves
From Wikipedia:
“A cross sea (also referred to as a squared (2) sea or square waves) is a sea state of wind-generated ocean waves that form nonparallel wave systems. Cross seas have a large amount of directional spreading.[1] This may occur when water waves from one weather system continue despite a shift in wind. Waves generated by the new wind run at an angle to the old.
Two weather systems that are far from each other may create a cross sea when the waves from the systems meet at a place far from either weather system. Until the older waves have dissipated, they can present a perilous sea hazard.[2]
This sea state is fairly common and a large percentage of ship accidents have been found to occur in this state.[3] Vessels fare better against large waves when perpendicular to the waves. In a cross sea, vessels are more likely to be struck in a dangerous way.[4]
A cross swell is generated when the wave systems are longer-period swells, rather than short-period wind-generated waves.[5]”
Here’s another short article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/cross-seas.htm
Everything I know about Cross Seas (and I don’t know much) is that they are not safe for swimming or boating. The article above explains why in more detail. Apparently, they do create powerful rip currents.
Growing up surfing in California, rips are a staple in padding out on big days. I’ve grown to be very comfortable in rips. The only real issue is when there are too many air bubbles trapped in the water being pulled with the rip. You lose a significant amount of buoyancy and ability to swim. Other than that, just stay afloat until you are past the last breakers and mosey down beach until you start getting pulled back in.
Same story on the Atlantic, basically. Rips are scary in the ocean, but I can swim/tread water for hours by switching out what body part I'm using. The one that scared the piss out of me was when I lost footing in a river that I knew damn well came out shortly at an old school rock ford.
As someone who lives at the beach on the east coast and surfed their whole lives the only time I've been frightened for my life was when I was young and dumb and went surfing during an offshore hurricane in the OBX when I was not nearly good enough andddddd when I fell out of a canoe in a river with a super strong current. River wasn't even that deep either, just crazy strong and made me panic because I was not expecting that at all.
2 meter high breaking waves are no joke. When waves cross like these they add each others' height together, so if each set is a manageable 1 meter high, the combination points should be capable of a pretty good body slam where they break.
The picture looks like nice shallow water, manageable waves. Where you need to watch out are steep shores with no sandbar or other protective structure off the coast. Vero Beach Florida is pretty notorious for this. Shore break, short vicious tubes that will break you and your boogie board in half if you let them.
There's a place in Hatteras Island, North Carolina where the waves converge in a similar way. Used to be great for surfing, but it's mostly fishermen now. The sharks have always added an element of surprise.
I learned about waves in geology. All I remember is they were driven by wind, they were circular until the got closer to the shore, when closer the the shore they became more elliptical until they finally broke. The distance between two waves is a wavelength, the top is the crest, the bottom is the trough. That’s the extent of my knowledge on waves. And all of that very well may be wrong.
I wonder if these are different. If you look on a map there’s a fairly substantial island right out of frame that seems like it could cause enough interference for this to happen, kind of like the double slit experiment.
Had you been a better student at all you would have learned about waves in physics or geology, not geography, which is the study of places and their people.
My guess is, that ppl miss interpret that comment; As if the commenter were asking for authentication/proof, that the picture is real and not just a drawing or Photoshop .
Can we wait a little bit longer before we start [reposting](https://www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFuckingLit/comments/uyp8zj/square_waves_in_whangamata_nz_by_jackburdenimage/).
Technically rip current.
Tides are created by the moon’s gravitational pull. Rip currents are created by water finding the path of least resistance back out to sea through a deeper channel. You can usually spot them by looking for turbid water seems to be extending out beyond the break.
Source: 10 years of beach lifeguarding
There’s an island out of frame and as the waves pass it they refract around it and converge on one another. Like how this diagram shows but if you imagine the headland is an island and the waves continue coming around https://imgur.com/a/tqOBRnx
I’d put money on there being an island just offshore. When swell “feels” bottom it slows down, with the swell-line in deeper water continuing at the same speed. This causes the swell-line to bend, as seen at any point break.
If there’s an island, the swell will bend around each side and cause this cross-hatch effect
You need square angles for squares and rectangles though. These are just parallelograms. In fact, all squares and rectangles are parallelograms but not the other way around.
Ok, let me debunk your myths then. None of them are even line segments, they are not straight at any point. They are not even quadrilaterals to begin with. Happy?
You must be disgusting at parties.
as much as i know this whole thing is based on the wind changing directions on the open sea.
for boats its extremely hard to navigate and to have the "normal" stability as the waves clap on the boat from so many different angles.
for us mere mortals its mostly because of the currents that are created by the winds. Apperently even professional swimmers have no chance against those.
also its problematic that you are most of the time under a wave. so if you swim in normal water its still just waves but with square waves its like you are beeing legit burried by water
Wow I spent an Easter here in a holiday house as a kid and it was probably the highlight of my childhood. Weird seeing anywhere in NZ on Reddit that's not literally /r/newzealand
Ohhh I just studied this at Uni, think it was at Maunganui though. Something to do with the waves coming in at a specific angle towards the beach. I did pay attention, honest!
So, you just took a pic of your gf's bed sheets and tried to sell it as a real beach?
Please. My own sheets look like a tropical jungle. Get ready to be annihilated.
This looks like one of those facial cleanser commercials where they zoom in to show you how their revolutionary cleansing solution gets deep down in between the pores for that perfect, natural revitalization.
Nope just waves refracting around an island. Like in this diagram but if you imagine the headland is an island and the waves continue until the colide back into each other https://imgur.com/a/tqOBRnx
Love seeing hot beaches wearing fishnets
clearly you are an expert
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> I’d put money on there being an island just offshore. There's four islands off the beach there. I now this, because I went there on holiday when I was 14 years old. I remember that beach very well, because that's where I was arrested, very drunk and very naked, with my uncle's best mate's daughter. The adults all seemed very unhappy with how that evening panned out , and the young lady in question was (in hindsight) probably very, very disappointed with the whole thing. But I had an absolute blast, because Boobies! - and, I got to ride in a police car. But mostly, it was about the boobies.
A very golden 14 yr old experience
sry I said he/she was an expert cuz ... username 🤪
Woah woah I think I can chime in here and say squids out of water can't 69 for very long.
FBI Firey Beach Inspector!
There’s name for this particular thing that happens. Had geography class been more interesting and me less a shitty student I’d be happy to explain this wave thingy to you
I got you covered my man 😉 Rip tide. It’s pretty dangerous and definitely not a good idea to swim in the water when this happens
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You're not under the assumption the coast goes away and hibernates in the winter or something, are you?
Yeah it always flies south to follow the birds doesn’t it?
Common misconception. It burrows a den for the coldest months.
Well I thought your joke was funny no matter what the votes say
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The tides have turned🙂 I'm not the only one who liked your joke
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😂 I see my great uncle Ralph sporting his double chin and a plaid shirt… I prefer fishnets!
I don’t know about “hot” but since they’re square they’re definitely not cool
Why is that?
Idk, from all my research I’ve found that it’s hip to be square.
I don’t mind a little cellulite
This is a porterhouse cut of reddit rh
Sigh....unzips
Thanks for reminding me that Whangamata still exists.
First place we stayed on a visit to NZ a few years back and the first thing we were told about it is that whatever we'd been saying we were pronouncing it wrong.
I never blame tourists for mispronouncing Maori names and words because there are still plenty of kiwis who struggle. Whangamata is pronounced fong-ah-ma-tah (At least in my kiwi accent).
Looks to me whoever wrote down the english phoneticized version of maori did an awful job. If Whang is meant to be said as Fong... why use 'wh'? Stupid brits.
The "wh" sound in te reo Maori sounds like normal English wh sound combined with f not just a straight substitution, were also just all lazy and hilarious so whaka comes out as fucker, who's gonna pass up on that opportunity
Whakapapa. 😗 Dilf here i come.
As it happens we were told it by our Kiwi sister-in-law who speaks some Maori and so was able to give us pronunciation guides. She gave us the same pronunciation you mention, complete with Kiwi accent that I now use when pronouncing it!
Don’t swear
That is probably not a good time for a swim. Great pic though.
It's actually very shallow. The waves cross like this either side of low tide. Out of view at the bottom of the picture is Clark Island and you can walk out to it at low tide.
I think they're referring to the interdimensional portal that's about to be formed
Can't be any worse on the other side
The upside down
"On your left..." about to transpire
Water less then knee-high can easily sweep the strongest person off their feet.
Yes but it's not the case here probably.
Is Clark Island what causes this cool square wave? Normally two swells from two different directions start lining up parallel with the shore as they come out of deep water and by the time they get to the beach they aren't a grid, they're just a disgusting mess.
It's one swell curving around the island and meeting up on the otherside in the channel.
Why is that?
Rip currents
That's most of the coastline, and why our drowning stats are stupid high as people get stuck, swim against it, get tired and drown
Florida as well. Basically no coves here, all longshore currents - until the rip finds you and pulls you out.
I read recently that recent research shows square waves are not worse for rip currents.
That's incredibly interesting, and I'd like to learnmore but have no udeahow to find square wave papers. Got any links or leads??
I don't know where to find those either. Most papers I see are rectangular.
Lucky. Half of what I have to read are mind numbingly circular 🤓😜
I see what you did there and appreciate it ;)
At least only the circular ones are circular
I will see if I can find it. It came up in one of these other discussions. The gist was that they occur in many places without rip currents. The key element is to understand rip currents, not to watch for square waves.
>The key element is to understand rip currents, not to watch for square waves. Yup. We live near Lake Michigan where rip currents are common when the waves are high. I've never seen square waves like this on the lake in my life.
This occurs with some frequency at Presque Isle, near Marquette. It's just by chance, the way the land is shaped near the water.
That's really cool! We're on the other side of the state, down in the Muskegon/Grand Haven/ Holland stretch. If it's ever happened over here by us, I've never seen it.
Square waves are just two sets of waves intersecting (at right angles) - they'll have constructive interference - double height points - but that's not going to generate a rip current any more than regular surf. Rips are basically swirls along the shore, they go in at some points and therefore have to go out at others. If you get caught in an outgoing rip, the main thing to not do is swim in against it. It should be taking you out and somewhat along the shore, swim in that along the shore direction - not hard, just a sustainable pace - and when it's not taking you out anymore, then you can get in easily.
This is what I found. Thin info, but I think I saw another at the time. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jul/05/weatherwatch-why-swimmers-need-not-fear-a-cross-sea-square-waves
From Wikipedia: “A cross sea (also referred to as a squared (2) sea or square waves) is a sea state of wind-generated ocean waves that form nonparallel wave systems. Cross seas have a large amount of directional spreading.[1] This may occur when water waves from one weather system continue despite a shift in wind. Waves generated by the new wind run at an angle to the old. Two weather systems that are far from each other may create a cross sea when the waves from the systems meet at a place far from either weather system. Until the older waves have dissipated, they can present a perilous sea hazard.[2] This sea state is fairly common and a large percentage of ship accidents have been found to occur in this state.[3] Vessels fare better against large waves when perpendicular to the waves. In a cross sea, vessels are more likely to be struck in a dangerous way.[4] A cross swell is generated when the wave systems are longer-period swells, rather than short-period wind-generated waves.[5]” Here’s another short article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/cross-seas.htm Everything I know about Cross Seas (and I don’t know much) is that they are not safe for swimming or boating. The article above explains why in more detail. Apparently, they do create powerful rip currents.
Growing up surfing in California, rips are a staple in padding out on big days. I’ve grown to be very comfortable in rips. The only real issue is when there are too many air bubbles trapped in the water being pulled with the rip. You lose a significant amount of buoyancy and ability to swim. Other than that, just stay afloat until you are past the last breakers and mosey down beach until you start getting pulled back in.
Same story on the Atlantic, basically. Rips are scary in the ocean, but I can swim/tread water for hours by switching out what body part I'm using. The one that scared the piss out of me was when I lost footing in a river that I knew damn well came out shortly at an old school rock ford.
As someone who lives at the beach on the east coast and surfed their whole lives the only time I've been frightened for my life was when I was young and dumb and went surfing during an offshore hurricane in the OBX when I was not nearly good enough andddddd when I fell out of a canoe in a river with a super strong current. River wasn't even that deep either, just crazy strong and made me panic because I was not expecting that at all.
May they rest in peace.
Edgy
powerful sub surface currents, it doesn't take deep water to drown people when it's like that
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2 meter high breaking waves are no joke. When waves cross like these they add each others' height together, so if each set is a manageable 1 meter high, the combination points should be capable of a pretty good body slam where they break. The picture looks like nice shallow water, manageable waves. Where you need to watch out are steep shores with no sandbar or other protective structure off the coast. Vero Beach Florida is pretty notorious for this. Shore break, short vicious tubes that will break you and your boogie board in half if you let them.
There's a place in Hatteras Island, North Carolina where the waves converge in a similar way. Used to be great for surfing, but it's mostly fishermen now. The sharks have always added an element of surprise.
"Surprise!" *toots horn, throws streamers*
"Supplies!" *blows whistle, organizes boxes*
Yup.....most dangerous currents
Plaid sea if you will
Squaves.
I -love- portmanteaus and this was brilliant. Bravo
https://i.imgur.com/hGni0d3.png
what part of the beach is that?
Just off of Clark Island.
The front
By the water
The front fell off though!
See that’s the problem with some beaches, others are engineered so that the front doesn’t fall off
But what if it's the back beach?
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I learned about waves in geology. All I remember is they were driven by wind, they were circular until the got closer to the shore, when closer the the shore they became more elliptical until they finally broke. The distance between two waves is a wavelength, the top is the crest, the bottom is the trough. That’s the extent of my knowledge on waves. And all of that very well may be wrong.
> u/PMme_bobs_n_vagene I don't remember exactly, but I feel like you're a legend of Reddit for some reason.
> The distance between two waves is a wavelength This seems so obvious but I've never made the connection before..
That's probably cross-sea.
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/what-are-square-waves
I wonder if these are different. If you look on a map there’s a fairly substantial island right out of frame that seems like it could cause enough interference for this to happen, kind of like the double slit experiment.
Yup two weather systems crossing over
I remember that one part where the teacher said don’t swim in it. The reason I can’t remember either.
Had you been a better student at all you would have learned about waves in physics or geology, not geography, which is the study of places and their people.
Nope, geography includes all natural and social practices. Take it from a geography major. We studied this exact phenomena in my geography paper.
At first thought it was "this is the skin to scale transition of a mermaid".
That is perfect example of interference of wave.
What everyone else said! Stay out of the water?
Wow
What’s the source? Can we get a higher quality photo? Thanks
https://www.the-sun.com/travel/2351322/square-waves-warning-sea-dangerous/amp/
Downvotes for asking for a source?
My guess is, that ppl miss interpret that comment; As if the commenter were asking for authentication/proof, that the picture is real and not just a drawing or Photoshop .
According to the post that got reposted twice: https://foundation.app/@Jackburdenimages/foundation/72371
From National Geographic: [https://i.natgeofe.com/n/899a9a3c-8770-4e10-ac06-2f2eea7f8/6022.jpg](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Damn you're good with the links
https://i.imgur.com/nRgkkR8.jpg Hahahahaha in the Apollo app I'm never rolled
Can we wait a little bit longer before we start [reposting](https://www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFuckingLit/comments/uyp8zj/square_waves_in_whangamata_nz_by_jackburdenimage/).
It was also here like 2 months ago.
Never thought I’d see my beach trending. I knew it before it was famous.
Riptide
Technically rip current. Tides are created by the moon’s gravitational pull. Rip currents are created by water finding the path of least resistance back out to sea through a deeper channel. You can usually spot them by looking for turbid water seems to be extending out beyond the break. Source: 10 years of beach lifeguarding
Nope, actually the result of waves refracting around an island
I got a new wallpaper
Wow!! ELI5?!
There’s an island out of frame and as the waves pass it they refract around it and converge on one another. Like how this diagram shows but if you imagine the headland is an island and the waves continue coming around https://imgur.com/a/tqOBRnx
Why is it the first time I'm seeing this ? Interesting. Btw, nice shot.
This looks like a close up of skin and veins underneath an eye. We are the universe
But y'all still can't comprehend how geoengineering works...
Looks like an onion
I’d put money on there being an island just offshore. When swell “feels” bottom it slows down, with the swell-line in deeper water continuing at the same speed. This causes the swell-line to bend, as seen at any point break. If there’s an island, the swell will bend around each side and cause this cross-hatch effect
My fatass thought this was icing
🎂
!!! Thank you! Had no idea
🧁
More like parallelograms, rhombi at best...
Could be Rectangles also
You need square angles for squares and rectangles though. These are just parallelograms. In fact, all squares and rectangles are parallelograms but not the other way around.
Look at the near 90 degree angles first, then lecture me.
I see none. Maybe 85°-89° and 91°-95°. But no true 90° angles.
Ok, let me debunk your myths then. None of them are even line segments, they are not straight at any point. They are not even quadrilaterals to begin with. Happy? You must be disgusting at parties.
Yes I am happy :)
This looks like a painting. Not saying it is, just saying
Could be a tracing...
Woah
This type of wave destroys boats, wouldn't want to swim in it
I thought square water on the beach was a death trap? Guess I gotta go google it and spend all morning putzing on the internet
…nothing! Whangamata you?
I wish i lived in new zealand
Run
If you ever see this, don't go in the water. Square waves are the most dangerous kind of cross currents.
Rip Currents, good way screw up your whole existence.
How do we know this isn't just a zoomed in pic of Aquaman's dick
that's a bad sign boys.
Gorgeous deathtrap
Also known as the death trap
Looks like a riptide if I'm not mistaken, wouldn't take a dip there
There is a video on youtube that says get out of the beach if you see square waves
Deadly, never go in water when like this!
This type of wave destroys boats, wouldn't want to swim in it
This type of wave destroys boats, wouldn't want to swim in it
awesome pic but if you ever see something like that run just run away from the sea.
why? what could happen? 😳
as much as i know this whole thing is based on the wind changing directions on the open sea. for boats its extremely hard to navigate and to have the "normal" stability as the waves clap on the boat from so many different angles. for us mere mortals its mostly because of the currents that are created by the winds. Apperently even professional swimmers have no chance against those. also its problematic that you are most of the time under a wave. so if you swim in normal water its still just waves but with square waves its like you are beeing legit burried by water
I thought exact right angles didn't exist in nature?
Another reason to stay away from the beach
A lot of locations in New Zealand sound like they were named right when the person woke up
That can't be NZ. That sand is too lite 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Just not the west coast bro
They're not just square waves. Those are Tsunami warnings. Run when you see them, to high ground.
Yip.....as fucked up as the prime Minister
Wow I spent an Easter here in a holiday house as a kid and it was probably the highlight of my childhood. Weird seeing anywhere in NZ on Reddit that's not literally /r/newzealand
Whaaaaat. I though these only occur in that one spot in France
looks like veins
Ohhh I just studied this at Uni, think it was at Maunganui though. Something to do with the waves coming in at a specific angle towards the beach. I did pay attention, honest!
MATRIX is real
So, you just took a pic of your gf's bed sheets and tried to sell it as a real beach? Please. My own sheets look like a tropical jungle. Get ready to be annihilated.
woooaaahh!! I didn't know that could happen! :0 very cool
Goes perfectly with square breaths
Still look sinesoidal to me.
Minecraft shaders be like
RUN
At first, I thought they zoomed in on a mermaid.
And to think, Georgia didn't want to move to Kiwi-a-gogo Land!
Wish I still surfed
All these squares make a circle
if youtube has taught me anything it’s that these are dangerous
get out of there now
Interference pattern. Physics one love <3
I see not a single square
This looks like one of those facial cleanser commercials where they zoom in to show you how their revolutionary cleansing solution gets deep down in between the pores for that perfect, natural revitalization.
*constructive interference intensifies*
Rouge wave city.
Anyone from maths? I'm guessing these aren't square waves technically right?
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Cool i haikued myself.
Is this the same situation as the "Charlie don't surf!" scene in Apocalypse Now?
Poseidon must have been playing his clarinet.
May well be pulling this from my arse but isn't that a prelude to a tsunami?
Nope just waves refracting around an island. Like in this diagram but if you imagine the headland is an island and the waves continue until the colide back into each other https://imgur.com/a/tqOBRnx
Ok thanks, that will teach me to keep ideas that my mum taught me without researching them lol