9: Waves
- Page ID
- 45479
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CC5 Transfer and Storage of Heat by Water: Water’s high heat capacity allows large amounts of heat to be stored in the oceans with little change in temperature. Thus, when waves break and release their energy as heat, they cause very little change in the temperature of the water.
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CC9 The Global Greenhouse Effect: Major climate and climate related changes may be an inevitable result of our burning fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, where they accumulate and act like the glass of a greenhouse retaining more of the sun’s heat. One of these climate related changes is the possibility that average wave heights in the oceans will increase, which would add to existing safety issues for ocean vessels and increase shoreline erosion rates.
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CC12 The Coriolis Effect: Water masses move freely over the Earth surface while the solid Earth itself is constrained to move with the Earth’s rotation. This causes moving water masses, including some long period waves, to appear to follow curving paths across the Earth’s surface. The apparent deflection, called the Coriolis effect, is to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. It is at a maximum at the poles, reduces at lower latitudes, and becomes zero at the equator
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CC13 Geostrophic Flow: Water and air masses flowing on horizontal pressure gradients are deflected by the Coriolis effect until they flow across the gradient such that the pressure gradient force and Coriolis effect are balanced, a condition called geostrophic flow. The interaction of geostrophic currents and the change of the magnitude of the Coriolis effect with latitude are the cause of Rossby waves that flow east to west across the oceans and atmosphere. The meanders in the jet stream seen in many weather maps are Rossby waves.
We are very much aware of continuous wave motion anytime we sail or visit the shore. Even on the calmest day, the water still laps gently onto the beach or rocks. If we stay long enough, we also notice that in most places the water level rises and falls on the shore as the hours pass. This slow up-and-down oscillation of the ocean surface is the incoming and outgoing tide. Because the high point of the wave (high tide) is separated by hours from the low point of the wave (low tide), we do not think of tides as waves. However, tides, which are discussed in Chapter 12, are a form of wave motion.
For all who visit or live near the shore, ocean waves are important. Waves provide enjoyment for people who visit the shore, and, as described in Chapter 11, waves are responsible for building and maintaining the sand beaches that are essential to many of our recreational activities. Unfortunately, waves also drown the unwary, erode beaches and coastlines, and damage piers and other structures. Waves and tides are also important because they affect the navigation and safety of the myriad commercial and recreational vessels that ply the world oceans. This chapter describes what ocean waves are, how they are formed, and how they behave. Knowledge of the behavior of waves can enhance our enjoyment of activities such as swimming, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, or just standing by the water’s edge watching the surf. It can also protect us from the dangers that waves often present.