Waves
Man thinks of the earth in terms of things, invidivual items, processes and generally in our small minded way, how what is happening affects ME. The earth is in balance and the energy of the earth vibrates. Like the tide the processes are in a point of balance but vibrate slowly taking eons or quickly like light waves. These vibrations sometimes create harmonics where vibrations resonate with other vibrations to reinforce or cancel each other out. Ocean waves are no different. They have a certain amount of energy imparted to them by interactions with movement, mostly movement of wind.
This Module is a basic rules of thumb article relating to waves and swells and has none of the mathematics and advanced science involved in wave forecasting.
Credit Where Credit is Due
The source of much of the material that follows in this module is the COMET® Website at http://meted.ucar.edu/ of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)), sponsored in part through cooperative agreement(s) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) ©1997-2009 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. All Rights Reserved.
Much of the narrative is my own gained from a lifetime in aviation, numerous courses in meteorology and more than 10 years of paddling the waters of coastal Canada.
Glossary
Capillary Waves are the smallest type of waves created when the wind blows across a smooth water surface. Friction between the air and water molecules results in the creation of these small ripples, which are less than .7 inches long.
Shallow Water Waves are wind-generated waves that travel in Water Shallower that one-twentieth of their wavelength.
Deep Water Waves are wind-generated waves that travel in water deeper than one half of their wave length.
A Sea is an area of irregular waves generated by storm winds. The waves are short and choppy, with varying periods and heights that travel in different directions.
A Swell is formed when waves move away from the storm or generating area and become more regular. Waves exhibit longer periods and rounded crests, creating a uniform pattern on the ocean surface.
A Rogue Wave is a unique, unusually large wave that is formed by combining the heights of waves that meet simultaneously.
A Seiche is a standing wave (a wave from that does not move) created by water moving back and forth, like a pendulum, in an enclosed or semi-enclosed body of water.
A Tsunami is a series of waves caused by an undersea earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, or an ocean meteorite impact. These waves can travel great distances from the area of disturbance, with an average speed of 450 mph in the open ocean.
Toward a better explanation, several types of ocean waves that we are aware of are illustrated below (click to view):
Wave Types
As described in the introduction, all of these processes can be interdependent and can create varied results as observed by man. Tide charts predict the effect of the sun and moon on the ebb and flow of the water of the oceans and lakes. Storm 'surges' and wind generated waves, for example may combine to form higher than normal tides. The fisherman of the coast of British Columbia will mostly tell in their lore, that the wind always blows the strongest in the middle of a storm, right at the highest tide. The meteorologists I have asked about this all say its a "bunch of hooey". I prefer to believe the fisherman with his folk lore gained from being on the water, to the meteorologist in his weather office. It may be that the fisherman's experience has just not yet been explained scientifically, so "It doesn't exist." Often science can explain much of what the waterman experiences, however that knowledge is often not available outside academia. It is the purpose of this web site to offer some science to the average waterman who may be interested in Why.
Click to view"Maverick" one of the world's biggest waves.
Waves Menu
