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Ocean Motions

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Waves
1. A Wave is a rhythmic movement that carries energy
through matter or space.

2. When a wave passes through the ocean, individual water

molecules move up and down in a circular motion but they do
not move forward or backward

3. As waves approach shore, the wave length decreases and

wave height increases

4. When a wave breaks against the shore, the crest outruns

the trough and the crest collapses-this is called a breaker
(water moves forward and backward at this point).

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Waves are moving energy

• Forces cause waves to move along air/water or within

water
• Wind (most surface ocean waves)
• Movement of fluids with different densities
• Internal waves often larger than surface waves
• Mass movement into ocean
• Splash waves

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• Seafloor movement
• Tsunami or seismic sea wave
• Gravitational attraction Earth, Moon, Sun
• Tides
• Human activities
• Wakes of ships
• Explosions

Progressive waves

• Longitudinal
• “Push-pull”
• Transverse
• Side-to-side or up-and-down
• Orbital
• Circular orbit
• Ocean surface waves

Types of waves

Fig. 9-3a

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Wave characteristics

• Crest, trough
• Wave height is proportional to energy
• Wave length
• Wave height/wave length = wave
steepness
• Waves break when H/L is 1/7
• Wave period, frequency

Wave characteristics
• Wave base is 1/2 wave length
• Negligible water movement due to waves below this
depth
Fig.9-6a

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Deep-water wave
•Depth of water is greater than 1/2
wavelength
•Speed of wave form (celerity) is
proportional to wavelength

Shallow-water wave
• Water depth is less than 1/20 wavelength
• Friction with seafloor retards speed
• Wave speed (celerity) is proportional to depth of water
• Orbital motion is flattened

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Transitional waves
• Water depth is 1/2 to 1/20 of
wavelength
• Characteristics of deep and shallow-
water waves
• Wave speed (celerity) is proportional to
both wavelength and depth of water

Three types of waves

Wave equations
• Wave speed = wavelength/period
• S = L/T
• Frequency = 1/period
• F = 1/T
• Wave speed (m/s) = 1.56 x period
• S = 1.56 x T

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Surface ocean waves

• Most wind-driven
• Small wind-driven waves
• Capillary waves
• Larger wind-driven waves
• Gravity waves

Sea

• Storm at sea creates waves

• Wave energy depends on
• Wind speed
• Fetch
• Duration
• Chaotic mixture of different
wavelengths and wave heights

Wave dispersion
•Longer wavelength waves
outdistance shorter wavelength
waves
•Waves travel in groups or trains
with similar characteristics
•Swell made up of waves of similar
wavelength and period

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Wave interference

• Constructive
• Wave heights increase
• Destructive
• Wave heights decrease
• Mixed
• Wave heights vary in wave train (surf
beat)

Interference illustrated

Fig. 9-14

Rogue waves

Fig. 9-16

• Unusually large waves

• Constructive interference
• Waves meet strong ocean current

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Shoaling waves

•Waves reach surf zone

• Wave speed decreases
• Wave length decreases
• Wave height increases
• Wave steepness 1/7, wave breaks
• Surface tension no longer able to hold
wave together

Breakers

•Spilling
• Gentle beach slope
•Plunging
• Moderately steep slope
•Surging
• Abrupt slope

Wave refraction

• Shoaling waves bend so wave fronts

approach a shore nearly parallel

Fig. 9-19a

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• Wave energy
focused on
headland
• Wave energy
dispersed over
bay

Fig. 9-19b

Wave diffraction

• Wave energy
transferred
around or behind
barriers

Fig. 9-20

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Wave reflection
•Waves bounce back from steep
slopes or seawalls
•Reflected wave may constructively
interfere with other waves

Standing waves

• Two waves with same wavelength moving

in opposite directions
• Node – no vertical movement
• Greatest horizontal movement
• Antinode – greatest vertical movement

Fig. 9-22

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Tsunami or seismic sea wave

• Caused by sudden changes in volume of

ocean basin
• Mainly submarine faults
• Volcanic eruptions
• Submarine landslides

Tsunami
• Very long wavelength
• Travels fast
• Raises sea level as crest shoals
• Trough causes sea level to fall
• Disastrous for infrastructure at coasts
• Possibly much loss of life

Tsunami warning system

•Monitor seismic activity
•Monitor changes in unusual wave
activity
•Warning
• People evacuate

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5. Parts of a Wave
a. Crest – highest point of a wave
b. Trough – lowest point of a wave
c. Wave Height – vertical distance
between the crest and the
trough
d. Wavelength – horizontal distance
between two crests or two
troughs

PLEASE DRAW AND LABEL

Wavelength

Crest
Wave
Height

Still Water

Trough

Wave Parts

5. Effects of Waves on Shore

a. Longshore current- As waves come into shore, water washes
up the beach at an angle, carrying sand grains. The water and
sand then run straight back down the beach.

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Waves approaching shore

Types of Breaking Waves:

• Plunging breaker
• Spilling breaker
• Surging breaker

Factors that determine the position and

nature of the breaking wave:
• Slope
• Contour
• Composition

a gradual sloping bottom generates a milder wave

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Surging Breaker

• doesn't break, because it never reaches critical

wave steepness
• breaker diminishes in size and looses momentum
• Found on beach with a very steep or near vertical
slope

Sunset Beach Waikiki

What type wave are these?

Wave Refraction- when a wave approaches an inclined surface (shore) from

an angle, the wave slows and bends, paralleling the shoreline, creating odd
surf patterns

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Wave Diffraction- Propagation of a wave around an obstacle

Wave Reflection- a progressive wave striking a vertical barrier and being reflected
in the direction from where they came

The Wedge, Newport Harbor, Ca

waves

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5b. Rip Current-long ridges or piles of sand

create sand bars. A break in a sand bar
allows a fast-moving narrow stream of
water through

Rip Current

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6. Cause of Waves
a. Wind
• When wind blows across a body of water,
friction causes the water to move along with the
wind.
• Wave Height depends on –
• Wind speed
• Distance over which the wind blows
• Length of time the wind blows

6b. Earthquakes- Waves caused by

earthquakes are called Tsunamis
i. Tsunamis were once called
Tidal waves, but they have
nothing to do with the
tides.
ii. They are produced by
earthquakes and other
seismic disturbances.
That’s why they’re also
called seismic sea waves.
iii. Sudden outflow of water
then it returns much
higher

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iii. Tsunamis are very long, fast

moving waves!

• They can have wavelengths of 150

miles, wave heights of 100 ft and move
as fast as 450 mph (jet speed!).

Fault displacement under water

displaces water, water moves to fill
vacuum, generating large waves.

Fig. 9-23a

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