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
3.
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)
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
