Ocean Waves
Article by: Mark Wimbush, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Charles S. Cox, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, California.
Allan J. Clarke, Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
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Propagating oscillations in the ocean that carry energy and
momentum from one region to another. Most ocean waves
(Fig. 1) are caused directly or indirectly by wind blowing across the
sea surface. Many waves can propagate through the ocean thou-
sands of miles from where they are generated.
Surface waves
Ocean surface waves are propagating disturbances at the atmo-
sphere-ocean interface. They are the most familiar ocean waves.
Surface waves are also seen on other bodies of water, including lakes
and rivers.
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Content
• Surface waves
• Classification
• Wind waves
• Linear theory
• Stokes drift
• Shoaling and breaking
• Wave measurement
• At the surface
• Below the surface
• Above the surface
• Sea state
• Sea
• Swell
• In-between state
• Breaking waves
• Capillary waves
• Internal waves
• Long-period waves
• Rossby waves
• Topographic Rossby
waves
• Coastal Kelvin waves
• Equatorial Kelvin
waves
Fig. 1: Waves in the open ocean.
(Credit: NOAA)
Key Concepts
• Ocean waves are propagating oscillations that carry energy
and momentum from one region to another.
• Most ocean waves are generated by wind blowing across
the sea surface.
• Many waves can propagate through the ocean thousands of
kilometers from where they are generated.
• Wind waves in the sea are of two types: those still growing under
the force of the wind are called sea and those no longer under
the influence of the wind that produced them are called swell.
