Waves – Movements of Ocean Water

The waves themselves are never stopped by the seashore, just slowed down. That slowing down is the action of friction on the surface of the water and that creates all kinds of strange effects in a phenomenon known as surface tension.

Water particles only travel in a small circle as a wave passes. Wind provides energy to the waves. Wind causes waves to travel in the ocean and the energy is released on shorelines.

When the depth of water is less than half the wavelength of the wave, the wave breaks.

The largest waves are found in the open oceans. Waves continue to grow larger as they move and absorb energy from the wind.

Characteristics of Waves

Waves, which exist everywhere in the universe, have many forms and varying characteristics. The type of a wave depends on their formation.

Wave crest and trough: The highest and lowest points of a wave are called the crest and trough respectively.

Wave height: It is the vertical distance from the bottom of a trough to the top of a crest of a wave.

Wave amplitude: It is one-half of the wave height.

Wave period: It is merely the time interval between two successive wave crests or troughs as they pass a fixed point.

Wavelength: It is the horizontal distance between two successive crests.

Wave speed: It is the rate at which the wave moves through the water, and is measured in knots.