Waves Flashcards
What are waves?
disturbances caused by the movement of energy through a medium
transport of energy, not mass
What is an orbital wave?
particles of the medium move in closed circles as the wave passes (seagull picture)
What is a progressive wave?
wave moves forward
What is the anatomy of a wave?
crest- top
trough- bottom
what is stokes drift?
particles at the top part of the wave will move further than one lower
what is the energy that causes waves to form?
disturbing force
what is the force that calms waves to stillness?
restoring force
what is a free wave?
wave that forms and propagates across the surface without further influence of the disturbing force (tsunami)
what is a forced wave?
wave maintained by its disturbing force (tide)
what happens when waves get too steep?
combers
too high and whitecaps form
what are wave trains?
leading waves are drained of energy because they begin
orbitals in undisturbed water that they move in to
large waves come in patterns (surfing)
what is a seiche?
water that sloshes back and forth in a basin
