Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 20:34
Forums
Kuril Islands Biocomplexity 08

Dear Mr. E

Why are the sea's so much more rough and stormy then here?

Mon, 09/08/2008 - 09:20

KBP Team

If "here" is Puget Sound, in Western Washington, the Kurils are not nearly as protected from large storms.  So while Puget Sound can get pretty rough if you are on the water during a large storm, things settle down pretty quickly.
 
In the Kurils there are two main differences.  First of all, the storms don't have anything blocking their path, such as the Olympic Mountains or the Cascade Mountains.  That means that the Kurils get hit with the full force of the storm.
 
Second of all, the Kurils are also exposed indirectly to storms from all over the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Okhotsk.  Large storms from far away can still send pretty big waves crashing into whatever lies in their path.  The same is true on the outer coast of Washington State.  In Washington, most of the really large storms occur in winter.  I know the Kurils can get large storms in summer, but definately would not want to be there to see what hits them in the winter!
 
---Dr. E.