WT_Ocean Generation Lesson

 Ocean Generation

Like... the Ocean is totally a boomer, right?

Okay, so the ocean might be old, but we aren't talking about that type of generation. We are talking about generation as in the verb "generate". 

What do you mean by ocean generation?

Ocean generation is about how the ocean creates & passes along energy. 

So, waves are like the ocean's way of passing along energy from something that disturbs it. We all know about those waves that crash on the beach or rock boats, but there are some other cool kinds, too. 

  • Internal waves happen deep in the ocean where water of different densities meet. They're huge, like over 100 meters tall, but you wouldn't notice them from the surface. 
  • Tidal waves are those really long waves created by the movement of tides. They can be as long as half the Earth's circumference! And nope, they're not tsunamis. 

Now, about the wave itself: if the ocean was totally calm, we'd have a still water level. The top of a wave is the crest, and the bottom is the trough. The waveheight is the distance from crest to trough, and the wavelength is how far apart two crests or troughs are. Waves can get too steep and break if their height is more than 1/7th of the wavelength. 

There's also stuff like: 

  • Period: time between two crests passing a point. 
  • Frequency: how many waves pass a point in a certain time. 
  • Speed: how fast the wave moves, which depends on its wavelength and frequency. 

Here's something cool: when waves travel, the water doesn't really go anywhere. It's the energy that moves, while the water kind of goes in circles. This is because the waves make the water particles move both sideways and up and down. Near the surface, you'll see things like birds bobbing up and down, but they don't move forward with the wave. This circular motion gets smaller as you go deeper, and eventually stops at a point called the wave base, which is about half the wavelength deep. That means in deep waters, even during wild storms, the water way down below is pretty chill. 

Want to know what’s cool about ocean waves and ocean wave generation?

We can use ocean waves to generate energy! Although it might not produce as much energy as fossil fuels or solar energy currently, it’s a renewable energy source with immense potential. Ocean waves, formed by wind, gravity, and other natural forces, can be harnessed to create electricity, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional energy sources. This is especially crucial as we seek sustainable solutions to meet global energy demands. 

Here’s a summary of an awesome article that delves into the potential of wave energy. The article highlights the significant global theoretical energy capacity of wave energy. 

 

What's The point_science (1)

 

Waves pass along energy from a disturbance. There are different types of waves such as internal and tidal waves. The top of a wave is called the crest, and the bottom is the trough. Wave height should not exceed 1/7th of the wavelength, or the wave will break. Waves make water particles move sideways and up and down, while the energy moves forward. The circular motion gets smaller as you go deeper until it stops at the wave base, which is about half the wavelength deep. 

 

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