IB Physics SL IA

When the wind blows across the surface of the water, it creates some ripples. This is because the friction occurs by the direction of the progress of wind. When moving in long distance, the wind transfers enough energy to make the ripples become stronger to form the waves. When waves reach the shallow water, they change into breaking waves. It has a great impact on organisms living in these environments and landscapes.

Last year I visited the great ocean road, Melbourne, Australia. There was a helicopter tour which could watch the view of the Antarctic ocean. Before this helicopter tours I thought the wavelength of the ocean surface was the same. However, this tour entirely changed my mind because wavelength near the beach was shorter than deep ocean. I wonder how the depth of the seafloor affects the wavelengths of the water wave.