Ocean Waves

Waves

- Movements in which water alternately

rises and falls

Ocean Waves

- Get their movement from winds, tides,

and earthquakes

Mechanics of Wave Motion

- When you watch a wave, the water

Appears to move forward

· Each water particle in a wave actually moves around in circles

· The motion of the water particles

decreases as depth decreases

Characteristics of Waves

Crest: highest point of a wave

Trough: lowest point of a wave

Wave Length: horizontal distance between

successive crests/troughs

Wave Height: vertical distance between

crest and trough

Wave Period: time it takes for two

Successive crests to pass a given point

Wave Action and Energy

- As a wave reaches the shore the wave height increases and the wave length decrease

o Starts when the wave reaches shallow water

- When a wave breaks all the energy is released against the shoreline

o Can destroy property and disrupt shipping and boating

o Some people build breakwaters

- a high, sloping wall built at an angle to the shore

Earthquakes and Ocean Waves

- Tsunami

- shallow water waves

* shift caused by earthquake or a

submarine volcanic eruption

- Each wave carries a huge amount of water to the shore zone

- travels at a speed over 700 km/hr

- as it approaches shore wave height

increases up to 30 m!