Waves

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  • Created by: exam yes
  • Created on: 01-05-19 10:50
What classifies waves as being shallow, intermediate or deep?
The depth of the water is less than 1/20 of the waves' wavelength for Shallow Waves. Intermediate waves have a water depth more than 1/20 of the wavelength. Deep waves, have a water depth more than half of the wavelength
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What is the definition of the wave period (T)?
The time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point
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What is the Fetch?
It is the area of contact between wind and the water surface
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What happens as the velocity of wind increases?
The wavelength, wave height and period all increase, but only if the fetch and duration of inflicting wind is sufficient
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How would you describe a Fully developed sea?
The energy supplied by wind equals the energy lost when the wave breaks out of the fetch area. And so the waves are the largest they can be under the current conditions
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What is the actual wave and so what happens to the water molecules as they are generated?
The actual wave is an energy wave generated by wind which in turn then produces the physical water wave that we see... and so the water molecules themselves stay in position. Instead of moving forward, they move in an orbital motion.
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How does an energy wave cause water molecules to move and produce physical waves?
The energy wave moves forward and as it does, it 'lifts' up and 'drags' down the water molecules as it goes. (the crest causes the lift and trough the drag down). This creates the illusion of a physical water wave as the surface is displaced.
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What does the orbital movement of water molecules create?
It creates the illusion of a physical water wave but also creates waves beneath the energy wave due to the water molecules orbits. There are different characteristics of these waves depending on the orbit shape which relates to the depth of water.
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What is the relationship between the orbit size and distance from the surface?
As the distance from the water surface increases towards the wave base, the orbit diameter decreases due to less energy being inflicted on the water particles from the wind
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What classifies deep water waves and orbits does this produce ?
The depth of all the water is deeper than the wave base which causes circular molecule movement/ orbit
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What classifies shallow water waves and what orbits does this produc?
The depth of the water is shallower than the wave base which causes more elliptical shaped orbits due to the wave being compressed vertically.
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What is Celerity and how do you calculate it (normal and constants)?
Velocity of the wave form, and calculated by Wavelength (L) / Period (T). Units metres per second. If only given the wave period, use the constant 1.56 x T = C. And if only given the wavelength, use the constant 1.25 / L = C.
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What does the term Sea mean?
It is the term applied to the fetch when there is a chaotic jumble of different wave types and beginning of new waves
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What happens to a wave when the water depth decreases?
As the water gets shallower, the wave speed and wavelength decreases but the height increases. Period - T, stays the same.
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Describe the process of waves breaking on to a shoreline?
Waves collapse on to a beach shore due to them folding over themselves as the water gets shallower. The wave steepens, as the crest seems to go faster than the trough as the trough hits the shore bottom. + the decreasing L and increasing height...
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What are internal waves?
Internal waves are those not generated by wind but disturbance in the pycnocline. Either by storms, submarine slides or tides etc....
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Describe internal waves? and how they form?
They display all the properties of normal waves such as breakage and interference etc, but travel much lower. They form when there is a disturbance in the density change layer (pycnocline) and different water masses above and below it.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is the definition of the wave period (T)?

Back

The time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point

Card 3

Front

What is the Fetch?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What happens as the velocity of wind increases?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

How would you describe a Fully developed sea?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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