Coastal Wave Mechanics
Compiled by Mark Francek (more info) at Carleton College (SERC) and Central Michigan University
Find animations and movies depicting how waves and water molecules behave along the shore and in deep water settings.
Orbital Motion in Deep Water, Exploring Earth (more info) This Flash animation illustrates wave motion, or the movement of energy through water. Users can stop, play, fast forward and rewind the animation at any time. This visualization is one of several animations in a series developed as a component of Exploring Earth, a website that supports the textbook Earth Science.
Motion in Deep and Shallow Water, McGraw Hill (more info) A relatively simple Flash animation contrasting sediment transport during winter and summer. The summer is characterized by lower energy, longer wavelengths, and sediment accumulating on the beach face. In contrast, the storms of winter create higher energy waves, shorter wavelengths, and sediment deposited as bars offshore. Access the animation by clicking on the "Seasonal Cycle of a Beach" link.
Waves and Currents Movie, Wiley (more info) This narrated QuickTime movie shows footage illustrating how waves and currents shape a coastline. Topics discussed include shoreline erosion and deposition, wave energy, swells, swash, bachwash, and longshore drift. This video is from Chapter 19 (The Work of Waves and Wind) of the animations section of the Instructor Companion Site for the Wiley Higher Education textbook (ISBN 0-471-23800-7) Physical Geography: Science and Systems of the Human Environment, Second Edition by Alan Strahler.
Rip Currents (more info) This Earth Science Photo of the Day shows how rip currents form along shorelines. The annotated photo describes how waves, sand bars, and gravity interact to form this dangerous feature. Clicking on the image affords a larger view.
