| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Cold-water currents | warmer climates in coastal areas that would otherwise be much cooler |
| Upwelling | Cold, nutrient-rich from the deep ocean rises to the surface and replaces warm surface water in a process |
| La Nina | Change in eastern pacific ocean in which surface water becomes cool |
| Crest | highest part of a wave |
| Wave height | vertical distance between the crest and trough of a wave |
| trough | lowest part of a wave |
| wavelength | distance between 2 adjacent wave crests of water troughs |
| wave period | time between the passage of the 2 wave crests at a fixed point |
| deep-water waves | waves that move in water deeper than one-half their wavelenth |
| shallow-water waves | waves that reach water shallower than one-half their wavelength |
| breakers | waves that crest and then crash into the ocean floor |
| breaker zone | area where waves first begin to tumble down downward, or break |
| surf | area between breaker zone and shore |
| undertow | a subsurface current that is near the shore and that pulls objects out to sea |
| longshore current | water current that travels near and parallel to the shoreline |
| whitecap | bubbles in the crest of a breaking wave |
| swells | long rolling waves that move steadily and at long distances across the ocean |
| tsunami | a giant ocean wave that forms after a volcanic ocean, submarine earthquake, or landslide |
| storm surge | a local rise in sea level near the shore, caused by strong winds from a hurricane or other storm |
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