Chapter 8 Flashcards
Ocean waves
movement of air across the ocean surface
Atmospheric waves
movement of different air masses represented by ripple-like clouds in the sky
Internal waves
waves traveling along the boundary between waters of different density, they are associated with a pycnocline
Splash waves
Mass movement into the ocean
Seismic sea waves
Underwater uplifts or down dropping of large areas of the sea floor
Wake
The wave left behind by a boa passing over the ocean
Longitudinal waves
Particles that vibrate in the same direction that the energy is traveling
Transverse waves
The energy moving at right angles to the direction of the vibrating particles
Orbital wave
The movement of particles in ocean waves involving components of both longitudinal and transverse waves
Crests
High parts of the wave
Troughs
low parts of the waves
still water level
Halfway between the crest and the trough, where the water would be if there was no wave
Wavelength
Horizontal distance between crests and troughs
Wave steepness
Ratio of wave heigh to wavelength, if ratio is steeper than 1/7 it is too steep
Wave period
The time it takes for a full wave to pass a fixed position
Frequency
Number of wave crests passing a fixed location per unit of time
Circular orbital motion
Movement of water passing along energy by moving in a circle, objects in waves moves up and backwards then forwards and then down and backward
Wave base
Depth of the circular orbital, 1/2 the wavelength measured from still water level
Deep water waves
If the water depth is greater than the wave base
Wave speed
Rate at which a wave travels, wavelength divided by period
Shallow water waves
depth is less than 1.20 of the wavelength
Transitional waves
waves that have characteristics of shallow water waves and deep water waves
Capillary waves
small, rounded waves
Gravity waves
Rougher waves that have wavelengths greater than .7 inches
Trochoidal waveform
Rounded wave with a pointed crest
Fetch
Distance over which the wind blows in one direction
Beaufort wind scale
Describes appearance of the sea surface based on winds
Fully developed sea
Highest height that a wave can grow
Swell
long crested waves moving faster than propelling wind
Wave trains
groups of waves sorted by wave length
Wave dispersion
sorting of waves by their wave length
decay distance
distance one which waves change from a choppy sea to uniform swell
Constructive interference
when wave trains come together, doubling heights
Destructive interference
when wave trains come together out of phase, negating the waves
Mixed interference
Swells coming together at different times
Rogue waves
massive freak waves that occur when strong ocean currents flow in the opposite direction of large waves
Surf zone
zone of breaking waves along the margins of a continent
Shoaling
Gradually shallowing water, causes speed to decrease
Spilling breaker
breaking wave with low energy due to gradual beach slope
Plunging breaker
results from steep beach slope
surging breaker
results from an abrupt beach slope
Orthogonal line
Lines orientated perpendicular to wave crests indicating direction that waves travel towards shore
Refraction
bending of each wave crest towards the shore along a curve
Wave reflection
How a vertical barrier can reflect waves back into another wave
Splash waves
resulting from large objects splashing into the ocean
