Motions Of The Ocean Waves Waves the movement of energy through a body of water - pulses of energy Waves are set in motion by winds and earthquakes Wave Characteristics a. Crest – the highest point of the wave b. Trough – the lowest point of the wave c. Wavelength – the horizontal distance between two consecutive crests or troughs d. Wave Height – the vertical distance between a crest and a trough e. Wave Frequency – the number of waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time *** As the frequency increases, the wavelength decreases and vice versa ***

Types of Waves Swells – long, wide waves that are not very high and are found far from shore Tsunamis – waves caused by earthquakes ***These are the largest ocean waves *** Longshore drift – waves that come into shore, water washes up the beach at an angle carrying sand grains. The water and sand run back down the beach Rip Current – rush of water that flows rapidly back to sea through a narrow channel Beach Erosion a. Barrier Beaches b. Sand Dunes c. Groin

Tides The daily rise and fall of the Earth’s water caused by the gravitational interaction among the Earth, moon, and sun Spring Tide – when the gravitational pull produces the greatest range between high and low tide – new and full moons Neap Tide – when the gravitational pull is very low and has the least difference between high and low tides – first and third quarter moons

Currents Water below the surface moves in streams called currents Currents are caused by wind patterns or differences in water density Surface Currents created by winds on the surface of the ocean Coriolis Effect – effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and currents the Trade Winds and Westerlies (wind belts) are the predominate winds that create the circular currents there are two types of surface currents – effect climate by moving warm/cool water around the globe

- Examples of Cold Currents Warm Currents - flow away from the equatorial region on the west side of the ocean basins - In North America warm currents originate in the Caribbean Sea. This is the Gulf Stream that heats the eastern seaboard. Cold Currents - flow toward the equatorial region on the eastern side of the ocean basins - Examples of Cold Currents Canary Current – N. Atlantic California Current – N. Pacific Labrador Current - Arctic

Deep Currents caused by differences in water density deep in the ocean most deep currents flow in the opposite direction from surface currents - Upwelling – the rising of deep, cold currents to the ocean surface