Back by popular demand: Reading the water in my mystery pictures series!

Who knows what’s going on in the picture below?

You might recognize a couple of details that might give you a hint: There are waves parallel to the rope and drops of water falling from the rope.

And here is what happened: A floating rope was repeatedly being pulled up from the water’s surface and then sank back down as the research ship Håkon Mosby moved in swell (white). Each time the rope broke the surface, it caused waves that propagate away from it, the ones we see as lines parallel to the rope (yellow). And when it was pulled up, water dripped from it, so drops falling directly underneath the rope (green) cause the wave rings (red).

Like posts like these? Then you will love my upcoming book! Stay tuned! :-)