Supervisor: Dmitri Fodorov

In our recent past, rogue waves were regarded as myths along with the Loch Ness
monster and the Bermuda triangle. But since a nearly 26-meter rogue wave was
recorded in 1995 outside the coast of Norway, scientists have discovered that
they are not as rare as previously believed. The mechanisms forming these huge
waves have since been a subject of intensive research. I will give a brief overview
of the different leading theories behind rogue wave formation and one attempt at
a unifying theory that uses mathematical statistics to quantify the probability
of rogue wave formation. I also delve into some prominent stories from the
1900’s where ships have encountered rogue waves, and some lived to tell the
tale. Then I will briefly comment on a paper I found about the necessity to take
rogue waves into consideration when building ships in the future, as these huge
waves could otherwise prove dangerous to seafarers.