Waves Wave Spectrum Surface waves deep-water waves shallow-water waves Wave Development Wave Equations Global Wave Heights S
Dec 31, 2015
Waves
Wave Spectrum
Surface waves
deep-water waves
shallow-water waves
Wave Development
Wave Equations
Global Wave Heights
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08_06a
Movement of water parcels is circular and the orbit getssmaller with depth until there is no motion
at L/2.
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08_06b
Movement of water parcels is elliptical and the orbit getsflatter until it is just a back and forth movement at
the bottom.
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Wave height depends on three factors:
1. Wind speed - how fast it blows
2. Wind duration - how long it blows
3. Fetch - the area over which the wind acts
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With a constant wind speed, wave height, length, period and speedall increase as the fetch increases.
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Wind speed, fetch and wind duration are usually positively correlated;as they increase, wave characteristics increase.
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October 1992 TOPEX/Poseidon satelliteOctober 1992 TOPEX/Poseidon satelliteHigh in high latitudes, low in low latitudes
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Waves
Wave Spectrum
Surface waves
deep-water waves
shallow-water waves
Wave Development
Wave Equations
Global Wave Heights
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Shallow water waves “stack up” as they approach shore causingthe wavelength to become shorter and the height to increase.
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08_14
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Two wave trains can produce either larger or smallerwaves after interacting with each other. Constructiveinterference can be the cause of “rogue waves” thatoccasionally sink ships in the absence of a severestorm.
A Stationary or Standing Wave
Water flows back and forth about a node, a point with no vertical water motion. The endpoints are antinodes, points with maximum vertical water motion.
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Uninodal Standing Wave
Yellow dashed line indicates undisturbed sea level. Dots indicate water motion.
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Binodal Standing Wave
Yellow dashed line indicates undisturbed sea level. Dots indicate water motion.
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Internal waves occur along density boundaries, i.e. athermocline - the smaller the density difference, the larger
the waves that can be produced.
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Internal Wave Propagation
Yellow dashed line indicates undisturbed sea level. Dots indicate water motion.
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Atmospheric Internal Waves
Rising air cools, water condenses clouds form. Sinking air warms and clouds evaporate.
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Eighty Mile Beach, north coast of Australia.High altitude oblique photograph from theSpace Shuttle (November 1990). Shows reflections of internal (not surface) wave forms progressing toward shore. The distance betweenwave crests is approximately 4.5 km.
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Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, Somalia. High altitude oblique photograph from the Space Shuttle (September-October 1988). Internal waves are visible below the Gulf of Aden water surface off Somalia.Waves show refraction patterns produced by interaction with local seafloor topography, including submarine canyons that focus the waves near the center of the photograph.
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Strait of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, southern Spain, northern Morocco. High altitude oblique photograph from theSpace Shuttle (October 1984). A spectacular set of internal waves are visible where surface waters pass fromthe Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean over deeper, denser waters exiting the Mediterranean. These largewavelength internal waves are visible here in sunglint off the thermocline despite the lack of any expressionat the ocean surface.
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STORM SURGE
Results from elevated sea levels pushed ahead from storms such as
hurricanes.
If they come ashore at high tide, they can cause considerable damage.
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