Waves in the Ocean

Finally we deal with a phenomenon that we see all the time! Waves little waves and big waves Waves that rock you to sleep, waves that make you sick and waves that can kill you.

NOAA Photo Library


Period

Celerity = C = Wavelength/Period = T

2 T

C =

Wave Frequency

Wave Number

Wave Celerity

! s e v a

w ll a s e v a

W f o

s ei t r e p o r P

ci s a B

Note that these definitions work also for radio waves, gamma rays and light waves. In this case the interface is between the ocean and the atmosphere or between layers of different densities

or ripples

or seas

Types of Waves in the Ocean

Name Ripples Sea Swell Internal Planetary and Topographic Tsunamis Tides Typical Periods < 0.2 s 0.2 - 9 s 9 - 30 s min to several hrs Wave lengths 10-2 m 10s of m 100s of m 1 - 300 m Forcing Mechanism wind on sea surface " " current shear on stratification

hours to days 15 min to 1 hr several hrs

100-1000s km few 100s km 100s -1000s km

bathymetry/atmospheric pressure seismic, landslide, meteorite impact gravitational (moon and sun mainly)

Waves preserve their period The wavelength is a function of the period The celerity is a function of the wavelength Long waves travel faster than short waves

C=

Wave Period

seconds (From Carl Davies, Southampton Univ)

Small Amplitude Waves H < 1 20 In reality, wave steepness of small amplitude waves < 1 / 50

Period T

Celerity = C = Wavelength/Period = T

= A cos

2 t = A cos[ x t ] T

u = g t x
momentum balance

1 u = H t x

 = A cos[ x t ]

2 C = g tanh h 2

1 2

g = tanh( h )

1 2

Obtained from equations of motion assuming the wave is progressive, incompressible and irrotational

cosh (20) = sinh(20) = 2.4 x 108

g C = tanh( h )

1 2

Deep water wave: < 2h ( h is depth ) or Short wave h h This means that is small and h is large
tanh( h ) 1
g C=
1 2

= g

g CT T = = g =g 2 2 2

Shallow water wave: > 20h ( h is depth ) or Long wave h This means that is large and h is small tanh( h ) h
g C = ( h )
1 2

= gh

Shallow Water Waves

Intermediate Waves Deep Water Waves

C = gh

g C = = tanh( h )

1 2

C = gT 2

2 = g tanh( h )
Dispersion relation
(relation between frequency and wave number)

Deep waves are dispersive Shallow waves are non-dispersive

Dispersive

C = g 2

1/ 2

= gT

Non-dispersive

C = gh

Waves in the area of the fetch Group Velocity Cg = Velocity of the wave envelope
Cg = C 2 h 1+ = 2 sinh(2 h )

In deep waters: Cg = 0.5 C In shallow waters: Cg = C

(green wave moving to the right; blue wave to the left)

Group Velocity = Velocity of the wave envelope

Rogue Wave generated by Constructive Wave Interference More information on Rogue Waves

Motion of the Wave Form

u=

2z

T 2 z H w= e sin(x t ) T

cos(x t )

Circular Motion

H = e sin(x t ) 2 2z H = e cos(x t ) 2
Short Deep Water Waves wind waves and swell offshore

2z

u=

Elliptical Motion

H g cos(x t ) 2 h

w=

z 1 + sin(x t ) T h

= =
Long Shallow Water Waves Tides, Tsunamis, Seiches, waves in shallow water

TH g sin(x t ) 4 h

H z 1 + cos(x t ) 2 h

What about INTERMEDIATE WATER WAVES?

Motion of water particles beneath waves -energy travels across the surface, not water particles

Orbits of water particles are not quite closed -- net displacement = STOKES DRIFT

Four factors controlling height and shape of wind waves

Wind Speed: Proportional Wind duration: e.g. synoptic vs. sea-breeze Fetch: Distance over which the wind blows. Original Sea State: begin from rough or smooth surface

Increased Wind Speed causes waves with increased height, wavelength and period

Fully developed sea -waves can no longer grow

Average and Significant Wave Height 25 20 15 10 5 0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Wind Speed

Ave. Hgt Sig. Hgt.

Wave Height

Significant Wave Height = average of highest 1/3 of the waves.

Small amplitude waves: Steepness < 1/20 (1/50 in real ocean) = A cos(x - t); A=H/2, = 2/, =2/T
deep waves (short) < 2h Phase speed or wave celerity C wavelength intermediate waves 2h < < 20h 1 g tanh h 2 2 = g tanh( h ) C= ( ) shallow waves (long) > 20h

C=

gT g g = = 2

C = [g h ]

1 2

gT 2 = 2

gT 2 tanh( h ) = 2
Cg = 2 h C 1+ 2 sinh(2 h )
u=

= CT
Cg = C ( h << 1)
H g cos(x t ) 2 h

Group velocity Cg

Cg = 0.5 C ( h >> 1)
u=

Wave particle horizontal velocity u vertical velocity w Horizontal displacements Vertical displacements Subsurface pressure

H
T

2z

cos(x t )

u=

H gT cosh(2 [h + z ] ) cos(x t ) 2 cosh(2h )

H gT sinh(2 [h + z ] ) sin(x t ) 2 cosh(2h ) H cosh(2 [h + z ] ) sin(x t ) 2 cosh(2h )

w=

H
T

2z

sin(x t )

w=

w=

z 1 + sin(x t ) T h TH g sin(x t ) 4 h

H = e 2

2 z

sin(x t ) cos(x t )
2z

= =

H e 2

2 z

H sinh(2 [h + z ] ) cos(x t ) 2 cosh(2h ) cosh(2 [h + z ] ) gz cosh(2h )

H z 1 + cos(x t ) 2 h
p = g ( z )

p = g e

gz

p = g

In shallow waters, waves refract, diffract, reflect and/or break Refraction Change of wave celerity (bending of rays) due to changes in bathymetry

Diffraction Change of wave celerity (bending of rays) due to the presence of an obstacle

Reflection

Waves break when steepness (H / ) < 1 / 7 or H / d ~ 0.8

Breaking

most common

Most desired by surfers

Progressive vs. Standing Waves Wind -generated waves are progressive

maximum motion associated with crests and troughs

 = A cos( x t )
C u = A cos( x t ) H H
u =
0 7 - . 1 6 8

5 .

0 5 .

0 2 .

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

C
0 5 - . 1 -

time

This indicates that the flow is in phase with the elevation u

1 -

5 .

5 .

a C/H
0 7 - . 1 6 8

0 5 .

0 2 .

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

time
0 5 - .

1 -

1 -

5 .

 = A cos x sin t
C u = A sin x cos t H
- . 0 7 1 6 8

. 5

0 . 5

0 . 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

. 2

This indicates that the flow is out of phase with the elevation by 90 degrees
1

time
- . 0 5

. 5

. 5

0. 5

u
0 - . 07 1 6 8 0. 2 8 3 2 1 . 2 8 3 2 2 . 2 8 3 2 3 . 2 8 3 2 4 . 2 8 3 2 5 . 2 8 3 2 6 . 2 8 3 2

a C/H

time
- . 05 1

. 5

Internal Waves

T = min to several hrs Wave length = 1 - 300 m Current shear on stratification

Convergences at troughs

They propagate roughly like a shallow water wave but the gravity restoring force is reduced by the difference in density.

2 1 d C = g 2 2 1 = 1 C = 10 0.001 100 = 1 m/s

Internal Waves in a closed basin

How about C of a surface (wind-induced) wave?

Standing Waves

Half-wave oscillator

Quarter-wave oscillator

Natural standing wave (lake, harbor, estuary) ---- seiche

Seiches
First Order Seiche Second Order Seiche

Example in the Balearic Islands

And 5 minutes later

Tsunamis
Created by earthquakes, underwater landslides, meteorites -cause a series of waves or wave train Harbor wave definitely not a tidal wave T = 15 min to 1 hour Wave length = 100s of km Speed of shallow water surface wave

C = g d = 10 4000 = 200m / s

Tsunami in Papua New Guinea 1960 Chile Tsunami

Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Dec 26 2004

Countries affected

2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html

PLANETARY WAVES

POINCARE WAVES KELVIN WAVES ROSSBY WAVES Coriolis accelerations become important

Poincar Waves

= A cos( x t )
1 2

s=f

g u= A cos( x t ) 2 h (1 s )

g v = s A sin( x t ) y 2 h (1 s )

1 2

s 1 >f

gh C= 2 1 s
Cg = (1 s

1 2

) g h]

1 2

Cg < C dispersive waves

Poincar Wave >f Superinertial

 = Ae

f y

cos( x t )

Kelvin Wave

g 2 f y C u = A e cos( x t ) h

v =0
C / f = Ro Rossby Radius

Ro

Needs a boundary or a guide on the right (northern hemisphere)

ROSSBY WAVE

Produced by variations in f -- Beta effect

+f
h

= const