Deep water- waves with constant wavelength Wave movement Approaching shore- waves touch bottom (wavelength decreases) Surf zone (breakers form) Waves touch bottom as they encounter water depths that are less than half a wavelength C E B 00000 00000 Depth is >½ wavelength 0000 0000 Velocity decreases (wave height increases)
Activity 12.1: Wave Characteristics Pg 200
1. Refer to Figure 12.1 and select the letter that identifies each of the following.
wave crest
wave trough
wavelength
wave height
wave base
2. Below what depth would a submarine have to submerge so that it would not be swayed by surface waves with a wavelength of 24 meters?
____ m
Activity 12.2: Deep Versus Shallow Water Waves Pgs 201-202
Refer to Figure 12.1 to answer the following questions.
1. Do particles in deep-water waves trace out circular or elliptical paths?
2. Near the shore in shallow water, do water particles trace out circular or elliptical
3. In shallow water, are water particles in the wave crest ahead of or behind those at the bottom of the wave?
4. As waves approach the shore, do their heights increase or decrease? Do wavelengths become longer or shorter?
5. In the surf zone, is the water in the crest of a wave falling forward or standing still?
6. What is the velocity of deep-water waves that have a wavelength of 46 meters and a wave period of 6.3 seconds?
7. At what water depth will a deep-water wave with a wavelength of 46 meters begin to "feel bottom"?
8. At what water depth will the wave described in Question 7 begin to break?
9. What two factors determine how far from the shoreline waves will begin to break?
10. Imagine that you are standing on a beach but cannot swim. Your friend encourages you to walk into the surf zone created by incoming deep-water waves that have a wavelength of 30 meters. Would it be safe to walk out to where the waves are breaking? Explain how you arrived at your answer.
11. Along some shorelines, incoming waves cause the water to simply rise and fall rather than form a surf zone. What does this tell you about these shorelines?
12. One type of ocean wave, call a tsunami, is usually produced by submarine earthquakes. These waves travel at very high velocities in deep water. What is the velocity of a tsunami with a wavelength of 125 miles and a period of 15 minutes?
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