simple facts
Where is it? nazaré, portugal [39.60478265, -9.071984267]
What is in the photo? Huge seven-story waves crash along the coast, creating a huge underwater plume of sediment
Which satellite took the photo?Landsat 8
When was the photo taken? October 29, 2020
This impressive satellite image highlights the immense power of seven-story waves crashing along Portugal’s coast, spewing massive plumes of sediment beneath the sea. On the same day this photo was taken, a local 18-year-old surfer set a new world record by riding one of the giant peaks.
The Landsat 8 satellite captured this spectacular sight near the town of Nazaré in western Portugal, an area famous for having some of the highest waves on Earth. Nazaré is home to approximately 15,000 people and regularly hosts “big wave” surfing competitions that attract surfers from all over the world. The swells there are so large that surfers often have to be towed by crashing waves on jet skis.
The monster wave seen in the image may have reached a height of approximately 80 feet (24 meters), roughly equivalent to a seven-story building. This is extremely high even in Nazaré, where wave heights at this time of year typically reach 50 feet (15 meters) and would normally be considered too dangerous for surfing.
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As these waves crashed along the coast, powerful undercurrents stripped sand and other sediment from the ocean floor and spit it out in the opposite direction of the waves, creating murky underwater clouds that could be seen from space.
The plume in this photo extends up to 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the coastline, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Later that same day, local surfer Antonio Laureano rode an even taller wave, estimated to be about 30.9 meters (101.4 feet) high. This is the largest wave ever surfed by humans.
This record is not officially recognized by the World Surf League (WSL) because its representatives did not calculate the wave height. Instead, its height was determined by oceanographers at the University of Lisbon, who analyzed video of the waves sent from Laureano, surfing news site Surfer Today reported at the time.
According to Surfer.com, the current record for the highest wave in WSL history belongs to German surfer Sebastian Steutner, who rode a 93.7-foot (28.6-meter) wave on February 24, 2024, also in Nazaré.
A total of seven of the official top 10 biggest waves ever surfed occurred at Nazaré, according to Red Bull.
“Big Wave” Hotspot
The secret to Nazaré’s giant waves is the Nazaré Valley, just southwest of town. It is Europe’s largest underwater canyon, extending 130 miles (210 km) long and approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) deep into the Atlantic Ocean.
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Water in the gorge travels faster than shallow water, forming large waves that “bend” in the direction of Nazaré at depth. As these large waves approach the coast, they collide with other waves coming from the northwest, further amplifying their speed and quickly rising as they approach the coast.
In some cases, waves can be further amplified by strong offshore winds. The Earth Observatory said this was the case with the supercharged swell seen in satellite images, partially fueled by the remnants of Hurricane Epsilon.
Nazaré’s big wave phenomenon is seasonal, with the largest waves typically occurring between November and February. During the summer, the waves almost completely disappear, allowing tourists to return to the beach and swim in the sea. However, disasters can still occur.
For example, in August 2012, the BBC reported that a five-year-old British girl and her 66-year-old grandfather were killed when a huge “rogue wave” pulled them into the sea while they were walking along a nearby beach.
For more amazing satellite photos and astronaut images, check out Earth from the Space Archives.
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