Endless ocean expanses are a risk, a strong wind, the ability to fly into reefs. And every sea wolf must know them thoroughly.
The Roaring Forties: what is it?
The entire oceanic space of the southern hemisphere from the fortieth to the fiftieth degree is commonly called the “Roaring forties”. A powerful westerly wind constantly blows here, which is the cause of frequent storms and terrible weather.
The map below shows the global wave height. Measurements were made by the ERS-2 radar during the Australian winter of 1995. Roaring forties are visible as red areas with significant wave heights.
The history of navigation is full of secrets and mysteries. But primacy is attributed to the Dutch sailor Hendrick Brower. The approximate year is 1611. At that time, Holland was a major naval power, rivaled England. Several centuries ago, it was only through the ocean that one could get from Europe to the Far East, to Australia and New Zealand. It was this seafarer who fixed this term in the shipping vocabulary, I devoted a lot of time to laying the optimal route in these latitudes.
Brave navigators tried to find the shortest and safest ways. And the speed nuance was very important. And only a strong tailwind, which abounded in those latitudes, will help the sailing ship to go. But any wind is able to destroy.Only the most experienced and brave ones decided on this route, because a spoon is the way to dinner.
At that time, geographers used the Southern Ocean, which was adjacent to Antarctica. Sometimes the distance itself was much larger than a short straight path. But it was wind power that made it possible to make a gain in speed. Interest in such a route disappeared about 150 years ago - sailboats went out of use. And later the Panama and Suez Canals were dug. Nowadays, all urgent cargo is transported by air.
Why are the strong winds in “Roaring Forties”?
The southern expanses of the planet are the complete absence of continents and mountains. On such a plain, the wind can accelerate to tremendous speeds: there is no barrier and constraining factors. And the air masses are between the warm air of the equator and the cold of Antarctica. Such a difference creates a draft. It is not worth attributing to everything that happens the mystical meaning of the number 40. Everything in the world of nature and geography is justified.
Interesting fact: Fyodor Konyukhov could hold out for a hundred days on a boat with oars. He is the first to walk half the Pacific Ocean along the Roaring Forties!
Frantic Fifties
There is also a related maritime term, "Frantic Fifties." This is the part of the ocean that is adjacent to Antarctica. These blue expanses of the Earth had to be crossed by those who were forced to go around Cape Horn. The weather conditions are even worse there.
Quiet “Horse Thirties”
The situation was quite different in the quiet “Horse Thirties”. Proximity to the mainland reduced the flow of air masses. The wind is worth its weight in gold.Because of the long calm, the ships simply stood in one place in the ocean. Such peace was expensive - due to lack of food and lack of food, sailors ate horses that they took on long trips.
Today, the sea remains a source of danger, a place where nature shows its difficult temper. Do not try your luck and prove your luck. Even a very brave man is a grain of sand on the scale of our blue planet! And any severe natural and weather phenomenon is scientifically proven.
