In Walter Dudley's "Tsunami" (2nd ed.), in the large section on the
'46 Alaska/Hawaiian quake & tsunami, Dudley writes:
__________________
To the west of the island of O'ahu, the destroyer-minesweeper U.S.S.
Thompson was headed toward Pearl Harbor. Thompson was returning from
Bikini, where the vessel had been involved in preparing the atoll for
the forthcoming A-bomb test. Seaman Perry Minton, a former resident of
Honolulu, had gotten up hours before dawn & was in the ship's radio
room waiting for the island of O'ahu to show up on the radar screen.
The radar man asked Perry to fill in for him while he ate breakfast.
"Almost as soon as I put on the headset, I heard a patrol
plane--probably a PBY--calling its base at Kaneohe to report something
on the surface of the sea, perhaps just a line or small wave." When
the station at Kane'ohe asked the pilot to drop down closer to the
surface in order to identify the phenomenon, the pilot said it was
gone--"it had outrun his aircraft."
___________________

Could the leading crest of the tsunami itself have been visible from
the air? Was it stirring up debris, which may have been visible from
the air? Did the water color change that noticeably? I've heard a few
scattered reports about this phenomenon--usually visible from the
air--but have there been any studies of this? What would explain it?

"David Oberman" <doberman@etc.> wrote in message

news:rmd3939e8tfl14mvj87kvv2gdl2ipf1hr8@4ax.com...



In Walter Dudley's "Tsunami" (2nd ed.), in the large section on the
'46 Alaska/Hawaiian quake & tsunami, Dudley writes:
__________________
To the west of the island of O'ahu, the destroyer-minesweeper U.S.S.
Thompson was headed toward Pearl Harbor. Thompson was returning from
Bikini, where the vessel had been involved in preparing the atoll for
the forthcoming A-bomb test. Seaman Perry Minton, a former resident of
Honolulu, had gotten up hours before dawn & was in the ship's radio
room waiting for the island of O'ahu to show up on the radar screen.
The radar man asked Perry to fill in for him while he ate breakfast.
"Almost as soon as I put on the headset, I heard a patrol
plane--probably a PBY--calling its base at Kaneohe to report something
on the surface of the sea, perhaps just a line or small wave." When
the station at Kane'ohe asked the pilot to drop down closer to the
surface in order to identify the phenomenon, the pilot said it was
gone--"it had outrun his aircraft."
___________________

Could the leading crest of the tsunami itself have been visible from
the air? Was it stirring up debris, which may have been visible from
the air? Did the water color change that noticeably? I've heard a few
scattered reports about this phenomenon--usually visible from the
air--but have there been any studies of this? What would explain it?

I've read that, and other accounts of such a phenomenon. One plausible
explanation is that it is due to bioluminescence. Though the peak of the
actual wave is way too diffuse and spread out longitudinally to observe it
directly, the energy within its crest might be locally just above the
minimum amount required to stir up the little critters responsible for the
luminous output. This would result in a relatively (relative to the
wavelength of the tsunami) narrow band of visible light moving at the speed
of the wave.

I've read that, and other accounts of such a phenomenon. One plausible
explanation is that it is due to bioluminescence. Though the peak of the
actual wave is way too diffuse and spread out longitudinally to observe it
directly, the energy within its crest might be locally just above the
minimum amount required to stir up the little critters responsible for the
luminous output. This would result in a relatively (relative to the
wavelength of the tsunami) narrow band of visible light moving at the speed
of the wave.

"Mike Williams" <miklwlms@pacbell.net> wrote:

I've read that, and other accounts of such a phenomenon. One plausible
explanation is that it is due to bioluminescence. Though the peak of the
actual wave is way too diffuse and spread out longitudinally to observe it
directly, the energy within its crest might be locally just above the
minimum amount required to stir up the little critters responsible for the
luminous output. This would result in a relatively (relative to the
wavelength of the tsunami) narrow band of visible light moving at the
speed
of the wave.

I missed this reply because of my screwy news server, but thanks for
the comment, Mike.

I also thought I read of an eyewitness account of this phenomenon
during the '64 Alaskan waves, but I've exhausted myself searching the
Web for it & come up empty.

____
Really, that is not a service to anybody. It's an interference with
communication.

-- Jacques Barzun, asked about ebonics in 2001

"David Oberman" <doberman@etc.> wrote in message
news:36boa3pn7na4sabipbgia22lubjbeq7jfk@4ax.com...
"Mike Williams" <miklwlms@pacbell.net> wrote:

I've read that, and other accounts of such a phenomenon. One plausible
explanation is that it is due to bioluminescence. Though the peak of the
actual wave is way too diffuse and spread out longitudinally to observe it
directly, the energy within its crest might be locally just above the
minimum amount required to stir up the little critters responsible for the
luminous output. This would result in a relatively (relative to the
wavelength of the tsunami) narrow band of visible light moving at the
speed
of the wave.

I missed this reply because of my screwy news server, but thanks for
the comment, Mike.

I also thought I read of an eyewitness account of this phenomenon
during the '64 Alaskan waves, but I've exhausted myself searching the
Web for it & come up empty.


Your welcome, Dave. Two other related items you might be interested in:
- I had a recollection of reading once about large phosphorescent "wheels"
of light spotted by a vessel in the open ocean. So I did a quick search this
morning and found this account of a 1994 event
http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf101/sf101g15.htm

- I have read reports of a very bright band of phosphorescence along the
crest of tsunami as they come ashore. IIRC one report indicated this was
visible in "daylight." I think it may have been the July 17, 1998 tsunami
that hit a small island near Papua New Guinea, though the tsunami hit there
soon after sunset. It may have still been light. There is an interesting
article about that at
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000B6F41-8BC1-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&sc=I100322

Mike Williams
Arroyo Grande, CA USA









____
Really, that is not a service to anybody. It's an interference with
communication.

-- Jacques Barzun, asked about ebonics in 2001

If I may, I have seen the bioluminescence on the crest of a tsunami.
In 1964 as a wave came in to Cresent City, it was a very dull glow and
hard to determine. One possible cause may have been the coriolis
effect as the wave pulse approached the shallower water of the bay and
coast. As I recall, it was about 10:00 pm and I was driving North on
Hwy. 101, just cresting the small hill to the south of the town. I was
admiring the moon-lit ocean. Then it got very strange. It looked as if
there was a line in the water about several miles off shore. It was a
dull greenish glow and was moving toward the bay. On the top of the
green glow was a white foamy looking top. It was quite dark, yet there
was plenty of moon light, but all the reference to distance was
changed. I stopped the truck and shut off the engine and that's when I
heard the rumble. Then the crashing and whooshing sound. It scared the
crap out of me. I was frozen in place and if that wave had gotten up
to me, I would have died as I had no ability to move. I was awestruck.
"David Oberman" <doberman@etc.> wrote in message
news:36boa3pn7na4sabipbgia22lubjbeq7jfk@4ax.com...

____
Really, that is not a service to anybody. It's an interference with
communication.

-- Jacques Barzun, asked about ebonics in 2001

"Mercy man" <Donewithwar@home.tv> wrote in message
news:9jepa35kjfkud9kpo0cr8db4rsesgprkcu@4ax.com...
If I may, I have seen the bioluminescence on the crest of a tsunami.
In 1964 as a wave came in to Cresent City, it was a very dull glow and
hard to determine. One possible cause may have been the coriolis
effect as the wave pulse approached the shallower water of the bay and
coast. As I recall, it was about 10:00 pm and I was driving North on
Hwy. 101, just cresting the small hill to the south of the town. I was
admiring the moon-lit ocean. Then it got very strange. It looked as if
there was a line in the water about several miles off shore. It was a
dull greenish glow and was moving toward the bay. On the top of the
green glow was a white foamy looking top. It was quite dark, yet there
was plenty of moon light, but all the reference to distance was
changed. I stopped the truck and shut off the engine and that's when I
heard the rumble. Then the crashing and whooshing sound. It scared the
crap out of me. I was frozen in place and if that wave had gotten up
to me, I would have died as I had no ability to move. I was awestruck.
"David Oberman" <doberman@etc.> wrote in message
news:36boa3pn7na4sabipbgia22lubjbeq7jfk@4ax.com...


Thanks for the very interesting story! Must've been really spooky!! By "one
possible cause may have been the Coriolis effect . . .," do you mean the
cause of the glow? And how would the Coriolis effect have produced that?

MW
93420


____
Really, that is not a service to anybody. It's an interference with
communication.

-- Jacques Barzun, asked about ebonics in 2001