WT_Waves and Tides Module Overview

Oceanography module overview (1)

Just imagine living by the beach! It's not just pretty, but it's always changing and lively.

The ocean is never still!

Waves, which can come from all sorts of sources like the wind, earthquakes, or gravity, aren't just surface movements; they transfer energy across the ocean and profoundly affect the way the coast looks and the habitats there. Tides, which are caused by the movement of the moon and sun, bring about a rhythmic increase and decrease of sea levels, influencing life patterns and human activities in coastal areas. We'll also check out how natural events like tsunamis and cyclones affect coastal regions, the way gravity works with the Earth, moon, and sun to create tides, and the cool process of wave refraction. These forces aren't separate things; they're all connected parts that shape the Earth's coastline, determine the pace of marine life, and have an impact on human activities along the shore. You'll learn all about this in this module!

  1. How do the dynamic processes of waves and tides shape and impact coastal ecosystems? 
  2. In what ways do natural events like tsunamis and cyclones alter the coastal environment and affect human activities? 
  3. How do the gravitational forces of the moon and sun influence the formation of different tidal patterns, and what implications do these patterns have for coastal regions? 

  1. Breaker: A wave breaking into foam upon reaching shallow water or the shore. 
  2. Crest: The highest point of a wave. 
  3. Cyclone: A large-scale air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure. 
  4. Diurnal Tide: A tidal pattern with one high tide and one low tide each day. 
  5. Ebb Current: The seaward flow of water as the tide falls. 
  6. Flood Current: The landward flow of water as the tide rises. 
  7. Frequency: The number of waves passing a point in a given time, usually per second. 
  8. Internal Wave: A gravity wave that oscillates within a fluid medium, rather than on the surface. 
  9. Mixed Semidiurnal Tide: A tidal pattern with two unequal high tides and two unequal low tides each day. 
  10. Period: The time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass a given point. 
  11. Refraction: The bending of waves as they approach shallow water, causing them to align more parallel to the shoreline. 
  12. Semidiurnal Tide: A tidal pattern with two high tides and two low tides each day, of roughly equal height. 
  13. Speed: How fast a wave travels, or the distance traveled per unit of time. 
  14. Spilling Breaker: A type of wave that breaks gently over a wide area, common on flat beaches. 
  15. Surging Breaker: A wave that breaks directly on the shore, common on steep beaches. 
  16. Tide: The periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. 
  17. Trough: The lowest point of a wave. 
  18. Wave: A disturbance that travels through a medium, transporting energy without transporting matter. 
  19. Wave Base: The depth below the surface where waves cease to have any significant motion. 
  20. Wave Height: The vertical distance between the crest and trough of a wave. 
  21. Wavelength: The distance between two identical points on successive waves, such as crest to crest. 

In this module, we will study the following topics:

  • Lesson 1 Introduction to Moving Water 
  • Lesson 2 Ocean Wave Generation 
  • Lesson 3 Ocean Waves and Seafloor Interaction 
  • Lesson 4 Moon & Sun in Tides & Tidal Patterns 
  • Lesson 5 How Waves and Tides Impact Coastline Ecosystems 

 

UP NEXT:  Introduction to Moving Water  

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