Abstract

Freak waves are probably the most dangerous type of extreme waves. Their strong deviation from the average sea state makes them unique phenomena on the free ocean surface. Freak waves are particularly dangerous for fishermen and yachtsmen, but are also capable of seriously damaging large vessels. The consequences of ship accidents caused by rogue waves are usually very tragic.
The problem is that the mechanism of the formation of freak waves is still unknown. According to some hypothesis freak waves are the results of the nonlinear interaction of waves in a wave train. Theoretical models and experimental data are applied to predict nonlinear wave generation, propagation and transformation to study the interaction of waves in a wave train. The problem is related with the formation of freak waves and a widely-recognized EU MaxWave project.