One for Graham (Penzance) - swell pattern

[Freddie]

This was taken in late August 2008.  The view is looking westwards into the Atlantic from the lighthouse at Phare des Baleines at the western end of the Ile de Re.  A very interesting (IMHO) swell pattern, with one swell from the southwest and another from the west-north-west, making an interesting grid pattern on the sea surface.

--
Freddie
Dorrington
Shropshire
115m AMSL
http://www.hosiene.co.uk/weather/
Stats for the month so far: https://www.hosiene.co.uk/weather/statistics/latest.xlsx

[Graham Easterling]

I think I've seen that photo before, it's certainly a remarkably good example.

A rather dreary, totally uneventful day here weatherwise, bit of light patchy rain, glimpse of sun. Looking interesting for the SE.

Graham

Penzance

[Freddie]

On Monday, 14 October 2019 16:46:48 UTC+1, Graham Easterling wrote:

I think I've seen that photo before, it's certainly a remarkably good example.

I'd be surprised if you had, as I took it and have only just rediscovered it :-)  Perhaps it's a good location for criss-crossing swells?

A rather dreary, totally uneventful day here weatherwise, bit of light patchy rain, glimpse of sun

Same here - roll on the summer!

[Graham Easterling]

I'd be surprised if you had, as I took it and have only just rediscovered it :-)  Perhaps it's a good location for criss-crossing swells?

Fair enough!

Was this yours? Looks to be taken on a different day (no flag on yours) but the same location. If I remember rightly I originally got a link to it, or a very similar one, from Norman.

Graham

[Graham Easterling]

Found the link

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/08/cross-seas-when-two-waves-meet.html

Amazing similarity to yours

Graham

Penzance

[Freddie]

On Monday, 14 October 2019 17:15:30 UTC+1, Graham Easterling wrote:

I'd be surprised if you had, as I took it and have only just rediscovered it :-)  Perhaps it's a good location for criss-crossing swells?

Fair enough!

Was this yours? Looks to be taken on a different day (no flag on yours) but the same location. If I remember rightly I originally got a link to it, or a very similar one, from Norman.

No, that's not mine.  That's an even better one with the different swells normal to each other, whereas mine are at a lesser angle.

[Freddie]

On Monday, 14 October 2019 17:17:16 UTC+1, Graham Easterling wrote:

Found the link

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/08/cross-seas-when-two-waves-meet.html

Amazing similarity to yours

Definitely!  Same direction, same apparent height, even the same light!  Just the swell pattern that is different.

[Graham Easterling]

I was looking at the pictures in that link  ( https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/08/cross-seas-when-two-waves-meet.html ) again. I don't think 2 of them - the B&W one and the one immediately below, are anything to do with separate swells. They are to do with a small swell coming around a reef / obstacle.

You can see the same affect in 1 of my photos of the Mount

In this case the Mount was the cause.

I think coastal conditions have to be just right to favour 2 swells staying so separate. Normally they are refracted so they face the shore, or a reef, or sandbar, so the pattern is lost.

The fact that the swell is obviously very small in the examples means that it is little affected by the seabed and therefore refraction is minimal. Unlike a bigger long period swell.

This is the reason why the town of Perranporth, or the area near Newquay harbour, are normally well protected from the sea, unless the the swell has a long period, then they get hammered.

Graham

Penzance (Lovely sunny morning.)