3.4 Basic Waves Characteristics
85
-----'.~ direction of wave propagation
-~
" ,,,
I
'
~
mean
:
\ level
___ - -.1- ___ , _ - - --- --,
I
,
/
,
0' ,
,
,
c::bi'
1~
I
J
I
I
I
I
\
I
~
~
~~~~~~~"'~~~~~~~~~~"'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fig. 3.4: Elliptical pattern of particle motion in shallow water; axes of ellipses
decrease with submergence
direction of wave propagation
•
t+ T
,
,
,
Fig. 3.5: Forward displacement of particle in deep water; ~ denotes a particle drift
after one wave period