Waves
All wave phenomena result from interplay between disturbing forces & restoring forces
All wave phenomena transport the effects of a local disturbance to other portions of the disturbed substance
- Effect of disturbance travels through a substance, but there is little (if any) transport of the substance itself
In the oceans, disturbances originate
- At the surface, where winds, ships, etc. perturb the flat surface of the water
- At the bottom, where earthquakes, volcanic explosions, submarine landslides, etc. perturb the still water
Primary restoring force for water waves is gravity
These perturbations generate waves that travel along the surface of the ocean (along interface between air and water)
- or waves that travel along interfaces between water masses with different properties - internal waves