GEOL107 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Longshore Drift, Wavelength, Calcite
23 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
As waves approach the shoreline, series of events occur that eventually cause waves to break at shoreline. As waves approach shoreline, water depths decrease. When water depths are less than wave length of wave, ocean bottom begins to interfere with circular motion of water particles. Interference causes circular motion to change to more elliptical motion. This elliptical motion results in wave slowing down (velocity decreases) When wave slows down wave height increases. When wave height becomes too high, wave can no longer support its weight and it breaks. In areas where water depth varies along coastline, waves refract (curve) as they approach the shoreline. Focuses energy toward more shallow areas (headlands = more erosion by waves) and away from deeper areas (embayments = less erosion by waves) Waves don"t always approach parallel to coastline (wind direction not perpendicular to coastline) Causes component of wave as it breaks to be parallel to coastline.
