The life of cycle of ocean waves

Andrea Bernal Astudillo 00486914Activity 9

The Life Cycle of Ocean Waves:

From Generation to Shoreline

storm and fetch

Wave propagation

Transition to shallow water

Refraction and breaking

Wave breaking

Swash and backwash

1

6

5

2

3

4

references

InfografíaConectoresAkihabara

Waves begin in a storm when wind transfers energy to the sea surface, creating waves. The fetch is the area over which wind blows, allowing waves to grow in size and energy.

Stomr and fetch (generation)

In deep water, waves travel as deep-water waves, unaffected by the ocean floor. The energy moves in circular orbits beneath the wave.

Wave Propagation (Deep Water)

As waves move into shallower water, they begin to "feel" the bottom. This is the stage of transitional waves, where wave speed decreases, wavelength shortens, and height increases

Transition to Shallow Water

Types of Transitional Waters:

• Estuaries: Formed when fresh waters from rivers and streams flow toward the ocean, eventually reaching the sea and mixing with saltwater.
• Coastal Salt Pans: Salt mines located near the sea where, after the evaporation of saltwater, salt is obtained and processed for commercial use.
• Coastal Lagoons: Shallow bodies of water that are separated from the deep marine waters by a natural barrier.

Waves bend as they approach the shore at an angle due to refraction, and their orbits become elliptical. When the water depth is less than 1/20th of the wavelength, waves become shallow-water waves.

Refraction and Breaking (Shallow Water)

As waves approach the coast, they grow taller and break due to the decreasing water depth. The types of breakers depend on the slope of the seabed (e.g., spilling, plunging).

Wave Breaking

After breaking, waves push water up the beach (swash) and then pull back into the ocean (backwash), contributing to sediment transport and coastal shaping.

Swash and Backwash

iAgua, R. (2024, 23 mayo). ¿Qué son las aguas de transición? iAgua. https://www.iagua.es/respuestas/que-son-aguas-transicionKarimpour, A., Chen, Q., & Twilley, R. R. (2017). Wind Wave Behavior in Fetch and Depth Limited Estuaries. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40654The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, 20 julio). Fetch | Marine Science, Coastal winds & wave Patterns. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/fetchMarine Renewables Canada. (2023, 21 junio). Wave Energy » Marine Renewables Canada. https://marinerenewables.ca/facts/wave-energy/

References