Wave-induced Currents Flashcards
What is wave refraction?
Wave refraction is the process in which waves bend in response to different water depths a fully reflected wave will arrive aligned to the shoreline and distributes wave energy across the shoreline.
Why is wave for fraction important?
We refraction affect the distribution of wave energy on a shoreline.
Where will the energy be dispersed through wave refraction?
Through wave reflection most of the energy will be focused on the headlands (wave energy converges on) which are typically made up of more erosion resilient materials such as volcanic basalt.
The rest of the energy will be dispersed onto coves and into beaches by the arriving waves . (wave energy is diverting into coves and) That contain less energy in the waves that will arrive at the headlands.
What is wave diffraction?
Wave diffraction occurs when wave crisps are broken into segments and redirected due to an obstacle.
What happens to the surrounding area and the obstacle that causes wave diffraction?
Directly behind the obstacle a shadow zone is created (quiet water zone) with small waves from energy that leaks from the passing wave crest.
Note: further on wave segments may recombine.
Is wave refraction always the same?
Wave refraction is not the same it is dependent on wavelength.
What is wave reflection?
Wave reflection is the process where a wave bounces or is reflected off a coastline.
Where can wave reflection commonly be found?
Wave reflection commonly occurs on Rocky coast and on some steep beaches.
What are edge waves?
Edge waves are formed by waves that have reflected off the coastline and they travel along the shore.
Why do rips exist/what are rips?
Rips exist to balance the amount of water coming onto a beach with the amount of water leaving the beach i.e. rips prevent a beach from flooding.
Why do waves not break in a rip?
A rip gouges the seafloor forming a channel that is deeper than the surrounding area.
Due to this way will break around the channel of the rip but not in the channel is this channel is too deep for the wave base to be in contact long enough for the wave to become unstable and break as it does in the surrounding area.
what is mass transport?
Mass transport is slow onshore movement of water.
What is the breaker zone?
This is the area of breaking waves
