24 Items Tagged

Waves

An illustration of Port Royal from the book “On the Spanish Main.”

Port Royal: The Rise and (Literal) Fall of a Booming Pirate City

Port Royal, Jamaica was a haven for pirates and privateers—until it was swallowed by the sea.

The Podcast Team July 23, 2025

Crescent City, California

Tsunami Walking Tour

An installation tells of the horrific 1964 tsunami that devastated Crescent City, California.

The Large Wave Flume at Oregon's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory hosts an experiment in innovative coastal protection.

The Oregon Lab Where Scientists Are Riding the Waves to a Brighter Future

At the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Lab in Corvallis, massive simulators allow researchers to test innovative ideas about sustainable energy, saving coastlines, and more.

Annalee Newitz February 3, 2023

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Wave of Translation

A plaque commemorates a Victorian scientist's monumental discovery about waves.

“Die Woge” (2006).

Dresden, Germany

Elbehochwasser 2002 Memorial

A famous big wave from Japan serves as a tribute to the victims of the disastrous Elbe flood.

Klitmøller, Denmark

Klitmøller Beach

On a stretch of Danish coast known as "Cold Hawaiʻi," this fishing village has become a surfing town.

Looking northeast from the tip of Dhigurashu Thun'di, where atoll lagoon meets the Indian Ocean.

Dhigurah, Maldives

Dhigurashu Thun'di (Long Beach)

A narrow, serpentine spit of sand is constantly eroded and rebuilt by competing currents.

Big Sur, California

Keyhole Arch at Pfeiffer Beach

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

Silver Spring, Maryland

'Coastline' Wave Pool

Live data is transmitted from the Atlantic coast to instantly recreate the ocean waves in this fountain at the NOAA headquarters.

The ripples are plainly visible beside dinosaur tracks. A new mural above showcases both.

Prehistoric Sand Is Full of Secrets

Petrified wave ripples can tell us about the weather that dinosaurs saw.

Jessica Leigh Hester October 18, 2018

The Frying Pan.

From the Frying Pan Tower, a Front-Row Seat to Hurricane Florence

A camera is live-streaming the storm.

Jessica Leigh Hester September 13, 2018

Just some waves.

The Largest Wave Ever Recorded in the Southern Hemisphere Crashed Down Near New Zealand

It was a ridge of water the height of an eight-story building.

Natasha Frost May 11, 2018

Waves crash against the abandoned plant.

Øygarden kommune, Norway

Ocean Wave Power Plants

Ruins of two abandoned stations destroyed by the power they sought to harness.

Skookumchuck Narrows, with rapids as seen from Roland Point.

Egmont, British Columbia

Skookumchuck Narrows

The water swaps direction twice a day, whipping into a frenzy of whirlpools and rapids.

Anchorage, Alaska

Turnagain Arm Bore Tide

During the summer, surfers in Alaska take advantage of this inlet’s unusual water patterns.

Moons, octopuses, mysteries, waves, and shots that delighted the Atlas Obscura staff.

Wishlist: Mysterious Packages, A Moon for Your Room, and Shots With Hamilton

Check out the coolest stuff our staff recommends this week!

Eric Grundhauser December 15, 2017

Heydar Aliyev Center

Baku, Azerbaijan

Heydar Aliyev Center

The building's fluid, wavelike walls are a true feat of architectural ingenuity.

The brightly colored salt ponds seen from above.

The Earth’s Wildest Reactions to High Tides

You can thank the moon's gravitational pull for these nine extraordinary sights.

Meg Neal August 10, 2017