Waves are horizontal motion of water. They are manifestation of circular motion of surface water which is sustained by energy passing through it. During the motion of the waves, there is no lateral movement of water. Wind causes waves to travel in the ocean and the energy is released on shorelines. A wave’s size and shape reveal its origin. Steep waves are fairly young and probably formed by local wind. Waves travel because wind pushes the water body in its course while gravity pulls the crests of the waves downward.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVES
- Wave Crest and trough: The highest and lowest point of the wave
- Wave height: is the vertical distance between crest and trough
- Wave amplitude: It is one half of the wave height
- Wave period: is the time taken by two consecutive crests to travel at a stationary point.
- Wavelength: It is the horizontal distance between two successive crests
- Wave speed: It is the rate at which the wave moves through the water, and is measured in knots
- Wave frequency: It is the number of waves passing a given point during one second time interval.
