You’ve probably seen this before. You might even have a shirt featuring it (like I do). This is a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print by Hokusai, and although it was originally thought to depict a tsunami, it’s now thought to depict a rogue wave.
Sleep fish, what on earth is a rogue wave??
The short answer: rogue waves are unusually large waves which form and disappear quickly in the middle of the ocean (unlike tsunamis, which only form near the shore). They’re also very different from tsunamis in the sense that they’re monstrous in the middle of the ocean, whereas you wouldn’t even notice a tsunami if you passed over it in a boat over the open ocean. If you’re interested in learning more about rogue waves and how they form, I actually separately broke it down here because I think they’re super interesting!
Scientists actually did a lab experiment to recreate the painting, and got some eerily good results from it. I can’t repost the image because of copyright restrictions, but please do take a quick look at it, it’s very cool! There’s also been scientific publications explaining why it’s a rogue wave and not a tsunami if you don’t believe me.
I’m planning to write a follow-up post estimating the height of this iconic wave. See you next time!
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
sleep fish. 
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