EAS 1540 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Wind Wave, Refraction, Wave Power
27 Jun 2016
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Document Summary
Wave speed - distance a wave crest travels per unit of time. Function of both wavelength the bottom depth. Deep-water waves ( bottom depth more than wavelength) vs. shallow- Water waves (bottom depth less than 1/20 wavelength) In very deep water, wavelength alone determines wave speed. In very shallow water, bottom depth alone determines wave speed. Wave dispersion - self-sorting of deep-water waves leaving a storm region based on wavelength. Longer wavelength waves travel faster than shorter wavelength waves. Wave refraction - the bending of shallow water waves due to change in bottom depth. Focusing and defocusing of wave energy on headlands (waves crash into a point, rough water) and bays (waves disperse, calm water), respectively. Summer - gentle waves create wide and gently sloping sandy beaches. Winter - storm waves create a rocky winter beach. Creates a jet-like current headed straight offshore. Currents are seldom wider than 10 meters. Wind speed - sets the upper limit on wave height.
