Pacific Spirit Marine Institute

More Sea Trouble For Sea Troubled South Chungcheong Province.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

At least 36 people were washed out to sea following a sudden and high tidal wave. Korea’s Coast Guard is reporting 9 dead so far and 14 others injured. 1,200 police, firefighters and volunteers are searching for others reported missing from the surge. However there is, at this time, no accurate count of how many people may actually be missing.

On May 4th a giant wave, maybe as high as 16 feet, caught tourists and recreational fishermen off guard sweeping them out to sea.

The wave reportedly hit Juk Island without any warning. Korea Meteorological Administration is investigating the cause of the massive wave which caught them by surprise. There was no weather alert issued. Witnesses say there were only mild winds blowing just before the wave over took as many as 49 people who were on the shoreline at the time.

The Korea Meteorological Administration suspects the wave may have been somehow amplified by artificial breakwaters or an erratic configuration of the sea floor. There were no strong winds or sea earthquakes detected.

The use of artificial breakwaters date back as far as the ancient Romans. The breakwaters are designed to impede the violence of the sea and prevent just the sort of tragedy that happened on Sunday.

Since artificial breakwaters alter currents they can create dangerous rip currents and the unintended erosion of beaches. The beach can build up on one side of the breakwater and be eroded away on the other side. Some beaches have to be replenished by dredging sand from offshore, thereby changing the landscape of the seabed.

Photo Thanks Joongang daily / JONHAP

Labels: Breakwater, Juk Island, South Korea, Tidal Wave