Scripps physical oceanographers Jennifer MacKinnon, Robert Pinkel and Shaun Johnston led the expedition, which was focused on the search for giant undersea waves. Like surface waves we see on the beach, so-called internal ocean waves also crest and break, albeit under the sea surface. Some can reach the size of 10-story buildings.

During the cruise, the researchers focused on an area of the Indian Ocean known as the Southwest Indian Ridge, one of the areas on the planet where tectonic plates are spreading apart. In addition to addressing a dearth of data about internal waves in this region, the researchers surmised that the Southwest Indian Ridge's jagged topography might result in an array of interesting internal wave phenomena.

They were correct. With instruments that measured water velocity, the researchers believe they captured the first close look at internal waves and internal mixing inside a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) deep area called the Atlantis II Fracture Zone. Their data include information on how cooler, bottom waters intricately mix with warmer waters as they flow between the Southern and Indian Oceans.

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