| Title page |
| Basic wave theory |
| Deep water waves |
| Shallow water waves |
| Waves in water of varying depth |
| Wave trains |
| Beach waves |
| Applets |
| References |
| Symbols Legend |
| Troubleshooting |
Beach waves
As we have seen, water waves are more interesting if the depth of the water is not constant. A particularly interesting example is the study of waves approaching a beach. In this case, we observe water moving from relatively deep water to a depth of zero.
Recall that as the water approaches the beach the period remains constant and the waves slow down. Consequently, the wavelength decreases and the amplitude increases. Moreover, the elliptical motion of the water particles aligns itself with the sea floor. As shown earlier, this behavior is described by the following formulas.
| yx = x + r Asin(wt- |
ó õ | k dx)+ar A1 cos(wt- |
ó õ | k dx) |
| yy = r Bcos(wt- |
ó õ | k dx)+ar B1 sin(wt- |
ó õ | k dx) |