Restless Energy
5135
l
.
Away from the direct inuence of the Wind, the Slowundulation
of the swell is the nearest that the ocean comes
‘
classic wave forms of physics. The swell advances steadily—at an
average of 35 m.p.h. in the
slighyless inthe Atlantic——
and can cover tremendous distances; Californian seientiststrac€d
swell arriving on the west coast to asource near New Zealand,vover
8,000 miles or about one—third of
‘
Only the shape of the wave travels ; the water particles progfessvery
slowly indeed, moving in vertical orbits with diameters correspond—'
ing to the wavelength—the distanCe between
gA
cork oating on the water traces out this ‘orbit’as it moves up the
slope of an approaching wave and” round and doWn its backinto the
following trough, The movement o thewatei‘ particles also extendS
down below the surface although the diameter of the orbits decreases
rapidly, halving with each—:descent of
«the
wavelength. At a depth of half a wavelength the xdisplacement; of
Water particles is only 4— per Cent that‘at the
which
goes someway towards explaining how
moStviolent seas.
…
,
-
'
Once the wave train ai#rivesin
’, coastal areas where
the depth of water is less than
the ‘dra‘gl ëofth‘e
sea oor starts to have a signicant e"60tonthe behaviour of …‘the
wavess They slow down …adîthefollowiùg crests cr0ivd in behind,
pushing more energyi‘nto asrallervo‘lume of waterjustî
case
of the breaking tsunami.
:«twate‘r
particles are squeezed intoua«tilted
« creating…aa pe“àk-0næihe
‘
wave. This peak, still travelling fast, tendstO1ÎCurverover and nally,
,j‘
unsup;iorted,itcrashes down; the—{wavehas—sbt0ketr; Asa general
‘
rule a wave breakstwhere the depth
height, but if the waves are already‘steep bn
they may break fairlÿ …soQnt,
,
waves do ndtplunge
‘
height as they come towards the
Where Ïthe:bottom slopesfggentlysup
……_—…
The slightest.
;:seax oor
the path of
in,—coming waVes.
been tracedback to=sea-oorstructurès many miles out to Sea, which
have focused the energyigo£ aswe”ll
amùnusu'al direction
Γon:t0
of the breakWate» Knowledge :of… this
of
refr‘action by Which the—=
arewtumed :acïcordin‘g r:to
5135
l
.
Away from the direct inuence of the Wind, the Slowundulation
of the swell is the nearest that the ocean comes
‘
classic wave forms of physics. The swell advances steadily—at an
average of 35 m.p.h. in the
slighyless inthe Atlantic——
and can cover tremendous distances; Californian seientiststrac€d
swell arriving on the west coast to asource near New Zealand,vover
8,000 miles or about one—third of
‘
Only the shape of the wave travels ; the water particles progfessvery
slowly indeed, moving in vertical orbits with diameters correspond—'
ing to the wavelength—the distanCe between
gA
cork oating on the water traces out this ‘orbit’as it moves up the
slope of an approaching wave and” round and doWn its backinto the
following trough, The movement o thewatei‘ particles also extendS
down below the surface although the diameter of the orbits decreases
rapidly, halving with each—:descent of
«the
wavelength. At a depth of half a wavelength the xdisplacement; of
Water particles is only 4— per Cent that‘at the
which
goes someway towards explaining how
moStviolent seas.
…
,
-
'
Once the wave train ai#rivesin
’, coastal areas where
the depth of water is less than
the ‘dra‘gl ëofth‘e
sea oor starts to have a signicant e"60tonthe behaviour of …‘the
wavess They slow down …adîthefollowiùg crests cr0ivd in behind,
pushing more energyi‘nto asrallervo‘lume of waterjustî
case
of the breaking tsunami.
:«twate‘r
particles are squeezed intoua«tilted
« creating…aa pe“àk-0næihe
‘
wave. This peak, still travelling fast, tendstO1ÎCurverover and nally,
,j‘
unsup;iorted,itcrashes down; the—{wavehas—sbt0ketr; Asa general
‘
rule a wave breakstwhere the depth
height, but if the waves are already‘steep bn
they may break fairlÿ …soQnt,
,
waves do ndtplunge
‘
height as they come towards the
Where Ïthe:bottom slopesfggentlysup
……_—…
The slightest.
;:seax oor
the path of
in,—coming waVes.
been tracedback to=sea-oorstructurès many miles out to Sea, which
have focused the energyigo£ aswe”ll
amùnusu'al direction
Γon:t0
of the breakWate» Knowledge :of… this
of
refr‘action by Which the—=
arewtumed :acïcordin‘g r:to