1. Waves and the Ocean Chapter 18

2. Anything through which energy flows is called a medium. A disturbance caused by the transfer of energy moving through a medium is called a wave.

3. Transverse wave: a wave in which the motion of the medium is perpendicular to the direction of the wave. Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves.

4. Ocean waves are actually a type of orbital wave in which the motion of the medium is circular. Orbital waves diminish to almost nothing with increasing ocean depth. Lower depth = smaller orbital waves.

5. Longitudinal wave: a wave in which the motion of the medium is parallel to the flow of energy travel Sound waves and Slinky ® waves are longitudinal.

6. The number of waves passing a point per unit time is defined as frequency (f). Period = 1/f frequency = 1/period Wave period: time required for one wave to move the distance of one wavelength (λ).

7. Fetch: the distance of open water over which wind can blow. Greater in the Pacific Ocean than in the Atlantic. The larger the fetch, the stronger the resulting wind will be.

8. Water waves with longer wavelengths are faster than waves with shorter wavelengths. When the trough of one wave encounters the crest of another wave, they tend to cancel each other out.

9. When the crest of one wave encounters the crest of another, they create a much larger wave than the other waves in the area called a rogue wave.

10. Waves can affect organisms along the coastlines. The removal of sediment from a stretch of beach is known as erosion.

11. The pioneer zone – area nearest the shore with very resilient plants. Sea oats, beach beans, salt grasses. These plants must be able to resist being buried in sand, pounded by waves, and covered with salt water.

12. Just beyond the pioneer zone is the scrub zone with plants that are low to ground. By being shorter, these plants avoid strong winds and salt spray from the oceans. Sea grapes, Saw Pametto.

13. Beyond the scrub zone is the forest zone with plants that are protected from salt spray and waves by sand dunes. Examples: Live Oak, Gumbo Limbo, Cabbage Palm.

14. Many animals are also adapted to high-energy shorelines; they build burrows in the sand. Beach fleas, tiger beetles, mole shrimps, fiddler crabs, and clams.