Initial Publication Date: December 21, 2006
The composite solar cycle shown above as measure by several satellite based instruments is a classic example of periodic data, **see References for Frohlich and Lean below. {click each image to enlarge it}
Of particular interest for periodic data are the:
- amplitude, A;
- period, T;
- and frequency, f.
The example above shows that: the amplitude is the maximum displacement from the average displacement, the period is the time it takes for the signal to repeat the cycle, and the frequency and period are reciprocals of each other.
When two or more periodic signals are compared then the phase of one signal relative to the other signals becomes important. In this example, the signal in dark blue is 90 degrees (pi/2 radians) ahead of the light gray signal.
There are also cyclic signals in space that are characterized by a wavelength. In this case the wavelength (the distance over which the cycle repeats) can be measured from the graph instead of the period. There are many example of this in the geosciences. Among these include: Ocean waves, seismic waves, waves in clouds, and waves in sand.
References/Resources
