Progressive Ocean Waves: Which Type Describes Ocean Swells Best?

What phenomenon causes a wave to break?

Which natural process is responsible for bending of waves due to varying water depths?

What happens to the peak heights of waves as they move toward a beach?

What term describes the regular wave motions formed as seas propagate away from their area of origin?

What is the primary factor that causes ocean surface waves?

In the context of ocean waves, what is a crest?

What does the wavelength of an ocean wave represent?

Which statement best describes the horizontal movement of water particles in an ocean wave?

What makes ripples appear on smooth water when the wind blows?

What characteristic describes the time interval between the arrival of consecutive crests at a stationary point?

Why are tsunamis not visible in deep water?

What is the main cause of the waves on an ocean?

Which property of wave motion explains how waves move through different mediums?

What happens when a wave goes through a small hole and has a flared out geometric shadow of the slit?

Why can we hear sound around a corner?

What is the outcome when waves, whether physical or electromagnetic, bounce from a surface back toward the source?

Ocean Waves

Ocean waves separate into swells based on direction and wavelength as they propagate away from their origin.
Rogue waves, also known as freak waves, can occur and reach heights of up to 30 meters.

Wave Breaking

Wave breaking occurs when a wave's base can no longer support its top, causing it to collapse.
This can happen when a wave runs into shallow water or when two wave systems oppose and combine forces.
The slope or steepness ratio of a wave can also cause breaking.

Refraction

Refraction is the bending of waves due to varying water depths underneath.
The part of a wave in shallow water moves slower than the part of a wave in deeper water.

Ocean Surface Waves

Ocean surface waves are caused by wind and are also referred to as wind waves.
They can travel thousands of miles before reaching land.
Waves range in size from small ripples to huge rogue waves.

Wave Characteristics

Wave height is the difference between the elevations of a crest and a neighboring trough.
Wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating wave of a given frequency.
Crest is the point on a wave with the greatest positive value or upward displacement in a cycle.
Trough is the opposite of a crest.

Wave Formation

Four factors influence the formation of wind waves: wind speed, fetch, time, and water depth.
The greater each of these variables, the larger the waves.

Types of Wind Waves

Three different types of wind waves develop over time: capillary waves, seas, and swells.
Capillary waves are ripples that appear on smooth water when the wind blows.
Seas are larger-scale, often irregular motions that form under sustained winds.
Swells are regular wave motions that form as waves separate according to direction and wavelength.

Wave Properties

Waves are a means by which energy travels.
Waves reflect, refract, and diffract energy.
Diffraction is when a wave goes through a small hole and has a flared out geometric shadow of the slit.
Reflection is when waves bounce from a surface back toward the source.
Refraction is when waves are deflected when they go through a substance, changing the angle of their general direction.

Explore the formation of regular wave motions known as swells and the occurrence of individual 'rogue waves' in the ocean, with heights reaching up to 30 meters. Learn about the distinctions between rogue waves, tides, and tsunamis.