Dynamic Planet pt. 2

Wave

A repeating and periodic disturbance that travels through a medium

Wave speed

The distance the wave travels divided by the time it takes to travel that distance

Wave steepness

The ratio of height to wavelength.

Capillary Waves

Very small waves with wavelengths less than 1.7 cm or 0.68 inches

Chop

Small waves causing the ocean surface to be rough

Standing wave

Waves that move back and forth (oscillate) in a vertical position. They do not move forward but appear as crests and troughs in a fixed position

Swell

The smooth undulation (rising and falling of waves) of the ocean surface that forms as waves move away from the storm center where they are created

When do breakers occur

when wave height to wavelength ratio exceeds 1:7

Plunging Breakers

These occur as waves approach moderate to steep slopes. When the swell hits the sudden change in depth, the wave curls over and a crashing sound may be heard.

Spilling Breakers

break over gentle ocean floor slopes and steepen gradually. They release energy slowly and take the longest time to break out of any wave.

Surging Breakers

Occur when long wave period and low amplitude waves approach moderate slopes. The wave base builds rapidly and the wave crest disappears, resulting in a narrow surf zone or no waves.

Collapsing Breakers

A mix between plunging and surging. The crest doesn't break, but the base of the wave becomes vertical, 'collapses' and breaks.

Who developed the reef classification system

Charles Darwin

How are volcano islands formed

formed by tectonic activity and the shores are warm where coral can grow

Fringing Reef

The coral starts forming because it is attracted to the heat from the hydrothermal vents. Soon more animals move in creating a coral reef. This reef fringes of the island

Barrier Reef

The reef continues to grow, but the volcanic island starts to erode away leaving a stub of island left. Yet it is warm enough for the coral to grow and the coral continues almost creating something along the lines of a barrier.

Atoll Reef

The island has disappeared completely only leaving traces of the once island. The coral still remains and where the island was is now a lagoon.

Patch Reef

commonly used to describe reefs which do not fall under Darwin's reef classification scheme. They are usually clumps of corals that are close to each other, but not connected, usually being separated by sand or muck.

The two types of patch reef

Circular and rhomboid

Fronts

A front is a kind of "wall" separating 2 masses of air with different densities.

Warm front

typically yield fog and stratiform precipitation before the front moves through, and after the front passes the skies are usually clear

Cold front

usually yield thunderstorms and more severe weather. They are commonly associated with areas of low pressure, and are known to move up to twice as fast as warm fronts

Occluded front

where a cold front has overtaken a warm front.

Stationary front/stalled front

is where there are 2 masses of air in which they cannot mix to form an occluded front, and seem to remain in the same place for a long period of time.

Precipitation

rain or hail or any other form of water that would precipitate down into the ocean

Prevailing Winds

Large regions of the earth that have winds that typically blow the same direction

direction of prevailing winds at low latitudes

East to west

Direction of prevailing winds at middle latitudes

West to east