Ocean waves are caused by wind and transfer energy through water, but do not transfer water from place to place. Key characteristics of waves include wavelength, amplitude, height, and period. Wave movement involves an orbital pattern, with energy moving through water in a circular motion. Near shore, waves begin to break as their movement becomes disrupted. Breaking waves can come crashing ashore. Some surfers seek out large storm waves for challenges they present. There is potential to harness wave power as an energy source.

1. Waves
Dr. Mark A. McGinley
Honors College and Department of
Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University

2. Ocean Currents, Waves, and Tides
• Ocean currents, waves, and tides all influence
water movement in the ocean
• Ocean currents are different from ocean
waves
– Water moves (sort of like a river in the ocean)
from place to place in the ocean as a result of
ocean currents
– Energy moves through the ocean as a result of
ocean waves

4. Ocean Waves
• Caused by the wind
• Energy moves through the water, but the water
does not move!!!!
• http://eric.boissard.free.fr/waves.html
• (remember, things are different near shore when
waves start to “break”. More on this later)

5. Ocean Waves

6. Important Characteristics of Ocean
Waves
• Wavelength- the distance between two wave
peaks
• Amplitude- distance from the mean sea level
to the wave peak
• Height- the distance from the wave trough to
the wave peak
• Period- the time between two adjacent wave
peaks passing the same location

8. Ocean Wave Movement
• http://www.csun.edu/~aes15831/graphics/ge
neral_photos/oceanography/waves/images/or
bital_wave.gif
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXWpmY
86lHk

9. Wave Movement

10. Breaking Waves

11. Breaking Waves
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y1MkFZS
wIs&feature=related

12. Breaking Waves
• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=nl&sa=X&biw=136
6&bih=624&tbm=isch&tbnid=gxupKPoy-
Pwp_M:&imgrefurl=http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ed
u/learning/9_ocean_waves/activities/breaking_waves.
html&docid=qTjUYOEU2HhFNM&imgurl=http://oceane
xplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/9_ocean_waves/activiti
es/media/breaking_waves.gif&w=690&h=423&ei=wPF
NUNnFGe3iyAGfm4DIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=817&
vpy=301&dur=1&hovh=176&hovw=287&tx=166&ty=9
2&sig=113037204853661644066&page=1&tbnh=110&
tbnw=179&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:10
4

13. Big Wave Surfing
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5c39PZ
FQ4

14. Storm Waves

15. Wave Power
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Wave_power