Module 6 Ocean Waves

Ahmad Mukhlis Firdaus Ocean Engineering ITB ahmad_m_firdaus@ocean.itb.ac.id

Wave characteristics and terminology

Crest Trough Wave height (H) Wavelength (L) Still water level Orbital motion

 Orbital size decreases with depth to zero at wave base Depth of wave base = wavelength, measured from still water level

Calm water

Deep- and shallow-water waves

Deep-water waves

Water depth > wave base

Shallow-water waves

Water depth < 1/20 of wavelength Water depth < wave base but also > 1/20 of wavelength

Transitional waves

Figure 8-6a & b

Classes of Waves

Ripples, Wind Waves, and Swell (Effect of Wind on the air/water interface) Internal Waves
Occur when density variations are present caused by current shear and surface disturbances

Tsunamis
Seismic disturbance of sea bottom

Rossby or Planetary Waves Gyroscopic-Gravity Waves

Caused by wind stress change, Atmospheric Pressure Change - Coriolis

Tides

Gravitational Forces Moon -- Sun

Another Wave Classification

Ocean waves can be classified in various ways: Disturbing Force- the forces which generate the waves. 1. Meteorological forcing (wind, air pressure); sea and swell belong to this category. 2. Earthquakes; they generate tsunamis, which are shallow water or long waves. 3. Tides (astronomical forcing); they are always shallow water or long waves.

7-1 Properties of Ocean Waves

Definition: Waves are the undulatory motion of a water surface.

Two general wave categories:

Progressive waves
Surface waves Internal waves Tsunamis

Standing waves
Seiches

Wind Waves- gravity waves formed by

the transfer of wind energy into water Wave ht- usually <3m Wave length- 60-150m Factors that affect wind wave development: Wind strength Wind duration Fetch- the uninterrupted distance the wind blows

Free Waves, Forced Waves Free waves- a wave that is formed by a disturbing force such as a storm. Waves continue to move without additional wind energy

Forced wave- a wave that is maintained by its disturbing force, e.g., tides

Restoring Force
Force necessary to restore the water surface to flatness after a wave has formed in it

Capillary waves- wavelength < 1.73 cm

Gravity waves- wavelength > 1.73 cm

Deep-water, Transitional, & Shallow-water waves Wavelength- determines the size of the orbits of water molecules within a wave Water depth- determines the shape of the orbits Deep-water waves
Water depth > wave base More circular orbits

Shallow-water waves
Water depth < 1/20 of wavelength Orbits are more flattened

Transitional waves
Water depth < wave base but also > 1/20 of wavelength Intermediate-shaped orbits

The sea and swell

Waves originate in a sea area Swell describes waves that:

Have traveled out of their area of origination Exhibit a uniform and symmetrical shape

Figure 8-9

Ocean Waves : From sea waves to ocean 7-3 waves

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Iniki

September 1992

August 29, 2005

Swells: wave type found outside the fetch

Internal Waves- at thermocline/pycnocline layer

Internal waves form within the water 7-5 column along the pycnocline.

Because of the small density difference between the water masses above and below the pycnocline, wave properties are different compared to surface waves. Internal waves display all the properties of surface progressive waves including reflection, refraction, interference, breaking, etc. Any disturbance to the pycnocline can generate internal waves, including: flow of water related to the tides, flow of water masses past each other, storms, or submarine landslides.

7-5 Internal waves form within the water column along the pycnocline.

Internal Waves- surface view

"Tsunami" - a Japanese word meaning "great wave in harbor". It is a series of ocean waves commonly caused by violent movement of the sea floor by submarine faulting, landslides, or volcanic activity. A tsunami travels at the speed of nearly 500 miles per hour outward from the site of the violent movement.

Tsunami

"Tsunami" - a Japanese word meaning "great wave in harbor". It is a series of ocean waves commonly caused by violent movement of the sea floor by submarine faulting, landslides, or volcanic activity. A tsunami travels at the speed of nearly 500 miles per hour outward from the site of the violent movement.

Generation of a Tsunami

Tsunami

Tsunami terminology

Often called tidal waves but have nothing to do with the tides Japanese term meaning harbor wave Also called seismic sea waves Underwater fault movement Underwater avalanches Underwater volcanic eruptions

Created by movement of the ocean floor by:

Most tsunami originate from underwater fault movement

Figure 8-21a

Tsunami

Fault displacement under water displaces water, water moves to fill vacuum, generating large waves.

Tsunami characteristics
Affect entire water column, so carry more energy than surface waves Can travel at speeds over 700 kilometers (435 miles) per hour Small wave height in the open ocean, so pass beneath ships unnoticed Build up to extreme heights in shallow coastal areas

Surface Water Waves

Wave Spectrum (Moskowitz)

Wave Height and Period

Idealized Wave Spectrum

Idealized Wave Spectrum

101
(m)

100 10-1 10-2

7-1

Properties of Ocean Waves

Most of the waves present on the oceans surface are wind-generated waves.

Size and type of wind-generated waves are controlled by: wind velocity wind duration Fetch original state of the sea surface. As wind velocity increases wavelength, period and height increase, but only if wind duration and fetch are sufficient.

7-1 Properties of Ocean Waves

A fully developed sea is a sea state where the waves generated by the wind are as large as they can be under current conditions of wind velocity and fetch. Significant wave height is the average of the highest 1/3 of the waves present.

Good indicator of potential for wave damage to ships and for erosion of shorelines.

Progressive waves are waves that move forward across a surface. As waves pass, wave form and wave
energy move forward, but not the water. Water molecules move in an orbital motion as the wave passes. Diameter of orbit increases with increasing wave size and decreases with depth below the water surface.

7-2 Wave Motions

7-2 Wave Motions

Orbit Diameter and Stokes Drift

7-2 Wave Motions

Wave base is the depth to which a surface wave can move water. If the water is deeper than wave base:

orbits are circular no interaction between the bottom and the wave.

If the water is shallower than wave base

orbits are elliptical orbits become increasingly flattened towards the bottom.

Deep- and Shallow-Water Motion

7-2 Wave Motions

There are three types of waves defined by water depth

Deep-water wave (d>or=1/2 of L) Intermediate-water wave (d>1/20 and <1/2 of L) Shallow-water wave (d<or= 1/20 of L)

Celerity is the velocity of the wave form and not of the water.

Celerity equations.

Fetch is the area of contact between the wind and the water and is where wind-generated Seas is the waves begin.term applied to the sea
state of the fetch when there is a chaotic jumble of new waves. Waves continue to grow until the sea is fully developed or becomes limited by fetch restriction or wind duration.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

Wave interference is the momentary interaction between waves as they pass through each other. Wave interference can be constructive or destructive.

Chaotic Sea exhibiting complex surface wave forms.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

Dispersion: Gradual separation of wave types based on their relative wavelengths and speeds Because celerity increases as wavelength increases:
-long waves travel faster than short waves. -This causes dispersion outside of the fetch and regular ocean swell.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

Chaotic seas inside fetch area.

Swells: wave type found outside the fetch.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

A Rogue wave occurs when there is a momentary appearance of an unusually large wave formed by constructive interference of many smaller waves.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

The shallower the water, the greater the interaction between the wave and the bottom alters thewave properties, eventually Wave speed decreases as depth decreases. causing the wave to collapse.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

Wavelength decreases as depth decreases. Wave height increases as depth decreases. Troughs become flattened and the wave profile becomes extremely asymmetrical. Period remains unchanged. Period is a fundamental property of a wave. Celerity equation of shallow water wave.

Wave refraction is the bending of a wave crest into an area where it travels more slowly.

7-3 Life History of Ocean Waves

Wave steepness is a ratio of wave height divided by wavelength (H/L).

In shallow water, wave height increases and wave length decreases. When H/L is larger than or equals 1/7 (H/L 1/7), the wave becomes unstable and breaks. There are three types of breakers: spilling breakers, plunging breakers, and surging breakers.

Spilling, Plunging and Surging Breakers

Spilling breaker: Top of wave crest spills over wave. Energy released gradually across entire surf zone.

Plunging breaker: Crest curls over front of wave. Energy dissipates quickly. Common at shorelines with steep slopes

Surging breaker: Never breaks as it never attains critical wave steepness. Common along upwardly sloping beach faces or seawalls. Energy released seaward.

7-3 Life Storm surge is theHistory of Ocean Waves rise in sea level resulting from low atmospheric pressure and the accumulation of water driven Water is deeper at the shore area, shorewardwaves to progress farther allowing by storm winds.

inland. Storm surge is especially severe when superimposed upon a spring high tide.

Storm surge damage

Storm surge damage

7-4 Standing Waves

Standing waves or seiches consist of a water surface seesawing line about which the back and forth. Node : The
surface oscillates.

Located in centers of enclosed basins and toward the seaward side of open basins.

Antinodes: Points where there are the maximum displacement of the surface as it oscillates.

Antinodes usually located at the edge

Natural Period of Standing Waves

7-4 Standing Waves

Geometry of the basin controls the period of the standing wave. A basin can be closed or open. Standing waves can be generated by storm surges. Resonance amplifies the displacement at the nodes and occurs when the period of the basin is similar to the period of the force producing the standing wave.

Internal waves form within the water column along the Because of pycnocline. the small density difference
between the water masses above and below the pycnocline, wave properties are different compared to surface waves. Internal waves display all the properties of surface progressive waves including reflection, refraction, interference, breaking, etc. Any disturbance to the pycnocline can generate internal waves, including: flow of water related to the tides, flow of water

Other Types of 7-5 Progressive Waves

Other Types of Internal waves form Waves within 7-5 Progressive the water column along the pycnocline.

Tsunamis were previously called tidal waves, but are Tsunamis consist of a unrelated to tides. series of long-period
waves characterized by very long wavelength (up to 100 km) and high speed (up to 760 km/hr) in the deep ocean. Because of their large wavelength, tsunamis are shallow-water to intermediatewater waves as they travel across the ocean basin. They only become a danger when reaching coastal areas where wave height can reach 10 m.

Other Types of 7-5 Progressive Waves

Generation of a Tsunami

Generation of a Tsunami