As salty sea captains can attest, winds and waves can appear out of nowhere on the open sea.
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Now, an analysis of satellite readings suggests that winds may be picking up speed over oceans worldwide. The seven seas aren’t getting gustier on the whole, but severe winds are getting stronger, researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia report online March 24 in Science. That’s bad news for sea captains, perhaps, but good news for surfers, since waves may also be getting higher, the team says.