Waves
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Created by:
htownking1122 on March 5, 2011
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Lecture 15
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17 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Definition of a Wave | A disturbing force causes the movement of energy through some medium |
| Ocean waves are orbital waves | Particles travel in an orbital fashion as the wave passes. The water does not necessarily experience much horizontal movement. |
| Frequency | number of wave crests passing a fixed point each second |
| Period | time between one wave crest and the next |
| Wavelength | distance between crests |
| Depth of Orbital Motions | extends to a depth of half of the wavelength |
| Dispersion | waves with longer wavelengths move faster; leave behind slower waves: dispersion. |
| Wave Trains | Progressing groups of waves with the same origin and wavelength |
| Wind generated waves | Depends on wind strength, duration and fetch |
| Wave Interference | When two waves meet, they interfere with one another |
| Destructive interference | two waves cancel each other out, resulting in reduced or no wave |
| Constructive interference | additive interference that results in waves larger than the original wave |
| Wave reflection | Waves can bounce off obstacles, angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection |
| Wave refraction | waves bend as they change speed. waves slow down as they feel the bottom. |
| Long Shore Currents | As the wave nearest the beach starts to slow down, the wave crest line starts to bend or refract. Waves still typically arrive at an angle creating longshore currents. |
| Wave breaks | When L/2, wave motion starts to become eliptical. The wave crests peak because the wave's energy is packed into less water depth, wave heights increase. Wave slows. Wave height increases and becomes unstable and topples or breaks |
| Tsunami | Long wavelength shock waves generated by sudden changes in sea floor level in coastal areas. 1 m high in deep ocean with wavelengths of 100's of km |
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