ERSC 2P16 Lecture 25: Flow, bed forms and stratification under oscillatory and combined currents

• School: Brock University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: ERSC 2P16
• Professor: Rick Cheel

Document Summary

Flow, bed forms and stratification under oscillatory and combined currents. Waves on the surface of the oceans are an important process for erosion, sediment transport and deposition. A wave propagates across the water surface its passage involves the rising and falling of the surface. Most waves are sinusoidal in form and are characterized by their: length (l), the horizontal distance from crest to crest, height (h), the vertical distance from trough to crest, celerity (c), the speed at which the wave travels. Waves are commonly characterized by their wave period (t), the time (usually in seconds) that it takes for one wavelength to pass a point on the water surface: Wind-generated waves are the most important process for erosion, sediment transport and deposition along many of the world"s shorelines. Waves can move sediment on the bottom out to the edge of the continental shelf. Wind speed controls the size and energy of the waves.