WATER WAVE

Water waves provide one of the most important mechanisms for transporting energy from one point to another on the sea surface. They are produced when the air-sea interface is distorted by a disturbing force such as the wind. A restoring force such as gravity, surface tension, or the Coriolis Effect (force) then acts to return the surface to its equilibrium position. The disturbance propagates on the surface of the water as a wave. Surface water waves may be classified according to the period (frequency) of the wave, and the nature of the disturbing and restoring forces at different periods determines the characteristics of the wave. See Wave Period.