Waves

Dr. Mark A. McGinleyHonors College and Department of Biological

SciencesTexas Tech University

Ocean Currents, Waves, and Tides

• Ocean currents, waves, and tides all influence water movement in the ocean

• Ocean currents are different from ocean waves– Water moves (sort of like a river in the ocean)

from place to place in the ocean as a result of ocean currents

– Energy moves through the ocean as a result of ocean waves

Ocean Waves

• Caused by the wind• Energy moves through the water, but the water

does not move!!!!

• http://eric.boissard.free.fr/waves.html

• (remember, things are different near shore when waves start to “break”. More on this later)

Ocean Waves

Important Characteristics of Ocean Waves

• Wavelength- the distance between two wave peaks

• Amplitude- distance from the mean sea level to the wave peak

• Height- the distance from the wave trough to the wave peak

• Period- the time between two adjacent wave peaks passing the same location

Ocean Wave Movement

• http://www.csun.edu/~aes15831/graphics/general_photos/oceanography/waves/images/orbital_wave.gif

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXWpmY86lHk

Wave Movement

Breaking Waves

Breaking Waves

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y1MkFZSwIs&feature=related

Breaking Waves

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=nl&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=624&tbm=isch&tbnid=gxupKPoy-Pwp_M:&imgrefurl=http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/9_ocean_waves/activities/breaking_waves.html&docid=qTjUYOEU2HhFNM&imgurl=http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/9_ocean_waves/activities/media/breaking_waves.gif&w=690&h=423&ei=wPFNUNnFGe3iyAGfm4DIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=817&vpy=301&dur=1&hovh=176&hovw=287&tx=166&ty=92&sig=113037204853661644066&page=1&tbnh=110&tbnw=179&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:104

Big Wave Surfing

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5c39PZFQ4

Storm Waves

Wave Power

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Wave_power