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Reproduction of the sea states encountered by the ferry boat Estonia when it sank

Baltic Sea - 27th to 28th of September 1994

 

Client : Clyde and Co - Law Firm

Date of completion : 2014



The ferry boat Estonia, handling regularly the sea route between Tallinn and Stockholm, sank during the night of the 27th to the 28th September 1994, causing the death of 852 people. At the request of Clyde and Co, Globocean has conducted a metocean study for the analysis of the meteorological situation, leading to the reproduction by numerical modelling of the winds and waves encountered by the vessel along its route till the time of its sinking in the middle of the Baltic Sea.


The following steps were followed during the realization of this metocean study :

  • Analysis of the synoptic charts of the meteorological situation of the 27th and 28th of September 1994

  • Validation and possible correction of the reanalyses of the numerical wind fields sourced from the general meteorological model

  • Implementation of the wave model WaveWatch III around the Baltic Sea, and numerical simulation of the waves encountered by the vessel Estonia along its route

  • Qualification of the waves generated by this gale compared to the usual storm regime in this area of the world



The atmospheric feature of the gale observed by satellite, a few hours before the sinking of the ferry Estonia
The atmospheric feature of the gale observed by satellite, a few hours before the sinking of the ferry Estonia


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