What is Ocean Waves and Currents? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts

What is Ocean Waves and Currents?

Sea water is constantly moving. On the surface, we see water moving in the form of waves. Below the surface, water moves in large currents.

Ocean Waves

One of the things that many people love about the ocean is the waves. People love to play in the waves, surf and the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

What causes Ocean Waves?

Ocean waves are caused by wind moving over water. Friction between the air molecules and the water molecules causes energy to transfer from the wind to the water. This causes waves to form.

What are Wave?

In science, waves are defined as the transfer of energy. Ocean waves are called mechanical waves because they travel through a medium. The medium in this case is water. Water doesn’t actually move with the waves, but only up and down. It is energy that moves with waves.

What are Swells?

Rising waves are rolling waves that travel long distances over the ocean. They are not generated by local winds, but by distant thunderstorms. Waves are generally calm waves, not fluctuating like waves. Inflate is measured from top (top) to bottom (bottom).

Ocean Currents

An ocean current is a continuous flow of water in the ocean. Some currents are surface currents while others are much deeper and flow hundreds of feet below the surface of the water.

What causes Ocean Currents?

Surface currents are usually caused by wind. As the wind changes, the current can also change. Ocean currents are also affected by the Earth’s rotation known as the Coriolis effect. This causes currents to flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Deep ocean currents are caused by a number of factors, including changes in temperature, salinity (water salinity), and water density.

Another factor that affects ocean currents is the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.

Do currents impact the Climate?

Ocean currents can have a significant impact on climate. In some regions, hot water is moved from the equator to colder regions, making the region warmer.

The Gulfstream is an example. It sucks warm water from the equator to the coast of Western Europe. As a result, areas like the UK are generally much warmer than areas at the same northern latitudes in North America.

Interesting Facts about Ocean Waves and Currents

The highest wave ever measured was 1,719 feet in Lituya Bay, Alaska.

The highest recorded wave at sea was 95 ft during a storm near Scotland.

Surface currents are important to ships because they can make movement easy or difficult depending on the direction of the flow.