During Surface Interval, Surface Interval

Underwater storm hits Aquarius base

Listen to this article An unusual event occurred in Florida, where the residents of the Aquarius base are on an underwater mission. Suddenly the perceptible temperature dropped by 10°C in an instant and visibility dropped from 20m to 3m! Remarkably, above the surface the sea remained calm and no meteorological changes were recorded. What the

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: July 31, 2012 - 20:06

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 05:06

Listen to this article

An unusual event occurred in Florida, where the residents of the Aquarius base are on an underwater mission. Suddenly the perceptible temperature dropped by 10°C in an instant and visibility dropped from 20m to 3m! Remarkably, above the surface the sea remained calm and no meteorological changes were recorded.

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What the residents of Aquarius experienced is called an underwater storm. The phenomenon was caused by a wave pushed up from the depths. It was at this same base that Dale Stokes and Jim Leichter discovered what a huge impact the wave has on the life of the reef and its inhabitants. With its arrival, it brings a whole host of nutrients so coveted by the local flora and fauna.

Were it not for the Aquarius underwater research station, we would most probably still have no idea about this phenomenon. The wall of water moving along the bottom, at various stages of its passage, is between 20 and 40m high.

Below is one of the videos, showcasing the activities of the base and its residents:

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.