Oceanography and Marine Terms

Front

Generating forces creating waves

Back

Forces that create waves, such as wind, earthquakes, or gravitational pull from celestial bodies.

Front

Amplitude

Back

The height of a wave from the rest position to the crest.

Front

Mixed semidiurnal

Back

A tidal pattern with two high and two low tides of different heights each day.

Front

Wavelength

Back

The distance between two consecutive crests or troughs of a wave.

Front

Longshore currents

Back

Currents that run parallel to the shore, caused by waves hitting the coast at an angle.

Front

Diurnal

Back

A tidal pattern with one high and one low tide each day.

Front

Swells

Back

Long, rolling waves that move continuously without breaking.

Front

Period

Back

The time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.

Front

Rip currents

Back

Strong, narrow currents that flow directly away from the shore.

Front

Semidiurnal

Back

A tidal pattern with two high and two low tides of approximately equal size every lunar day.