Oceanography: Waves & Tides – Flashcards
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Deepwater Waves
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-Occur in water that is deeper than half their wavelength. -The bottom does not affect their orbital motion.
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Neap Tides
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-Less of a tide. -Occurs when the moon is in a 1/4 moon phase.
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Shallow-Water Waves
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-Occurs in water that is shallower than 1/20 their wavelength -The bottom creates drag that affects their orbital motion - become elliptical in motion.
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Plunging Breakers
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Curl as the top of the wave pitches through the air before splashing into the bottom. They occur on moderately steep beaches.
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Spilling Breakers
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Top of the wave tumbling and sliding down the front of the wave as it decelerates slowly. They occur on beaches with a gentle slope.
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Surging Breakers
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Occur on very steep beaches that are almost like walls. Because they do not slow, they surge virtually unbroken and can be very destructive.
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Diurnal Tide
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Having a single low and high tide daily (Gulf of Mexico).
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Semidiurnal Tide
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Having two roughly equal high and low tides daily (East Coast of the US).
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Mixed Tide
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Having two unequal high and low tides daily (West Coast of the US).
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Tidal Bore
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Forms when incoming tide makes a wave flow into a river, bay, etc.
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Constructive Interference
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When waves are in phase and add onto each other.
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Destructive Interference
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When waves are out of phase and cancel each other out.
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Wave
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Transmission of energy through matter.
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Longitudinal Waves
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Waves that flow through all states of matter.
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Transverse Waves
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Only transmit though solids. Occur when the energy motion is perpendicular to the travel direction.
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Orbital Waves
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Only Transmit through fluids. They occur when the energy moves the fluid in a circular motion.
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Crest
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Highest point above average water level.
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Trough
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Lowest point below average water level.
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Wave Height
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Vertical measurement from trough to crest.
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Wave Length
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Horizontal distance between the identical point of two waves.
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Period
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Time it takes for the same spot on two waves to pass a single point.
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Frequency
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The number of waves that pass a fixed point on one second.
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Wave Speed
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Wave Length over Wave Speed.
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Primary Reasons for Tides
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Lunar & Solar Activity.
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Secondary Reasons for Tides
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Imperfect sphere of the earth, seasons, shape of ocean basin, and the Coriolis effect.
