Shallow water waves
Wave usually have trochoidal shapes
Individual water parcels trace out elliptical orbits
- Passage of wave affects water particles to depth of D = ~L/2, but that is entire water column
- As waves feel the bottom, the interaction alters the orbital shape from circular to elliptical
- Elliptical shape is flatter nearer the bottom
- At bottom, water particles simply sway back & forth
Wave speed is a function of only water depth