Waves

Wave speed
The speed the disturbance, and wave crests,
travel at.

Wavelength [m]
Wave speed =
[m/s]
Period [s]

Wave speed: Deep water wave

✤ When ocean depth is greater than half the wavelength.
Direction of wave

Gravity waves
Restoring: Surface Wind Long period
tension waves waves Tides
Tsunami

Disturbance: Wind Seiche and storm surge

Sun
and
moon
Energy

10 1 10-1 10-2 10-3 10-4 10-5

Wave frequency (s-1)
0.1s 1s 10s 30s 5min 12h 24h
Period
0.017m 1m 10m 1000m
Wavelength
Wave speed
The speed the wave crests travel at.

Deep water wave

✤ Speed dependent on wavelength (or period).
gravity
✤ Speed (m/s) = P eriod (seconds).
2⇡
✤ Speed (m/s) = 1.56 * wave period (seconds).
✤
Longer waves travel faster.

Wave speed: Deep water wave

The speed the disturbance, and wave crests, travel at.
✤ Speed = 1.56 * wave period
✤
Longer waves travel faster
Brooks/Cole

Storms
produce waves of many different periods and heights.
Wind wave periods can be up to 30 seconds.
Wind wave dispersion
Wavelength increases as period increases.

Longest waves travel fastest away from storm.

Swell
Longer waves travel faster
(C=1.56*Period). They also decay slower.
s/Cole
Brook

Wave speed: Shallow water wave

✤
When ocean depth is shallow compared to wavelength
(less than 1/20th of wavelength)

Direction of wave
Wave speed: Shallow water wave
✤ When ocean depth is shallow compared to wavelength
(less than 1/20th of wavelength)
✤ Speed dependent on ocean depth.
p
✤
Speed (m/s) = gravity ⇥ W ater depth
✤
Speed (m/s) = 3.1 * square root(depth in meters)
✤
Waves travel faster in deeper water.

Wave refraction
results in waves being more parallel to shore.

Wave refraction
Wave refraction
A shallow water wave’s speed is dependent
on ocean depth.

Wave refraction
A shallow water wave’s speed is dependent
on ocean depth.

If part of a wave is in shallower water then it

will travel slower.

Wave refraction
A shallow water wave’s speed is dependent
on ocean depth.

If part of a wave is in shallower water then it

will travel slower.
Wave reflection

Wave reflection

38cd_wavemotion.swf

Wave diffraction
When waves pass through a small gap, they
reform and radiate outwards.
Wave groups

Deep water wave

groups travel at half the
speed of individual
waves.

New waves appear to

form behind the wave
group.

Wave groups

matlab movie

Wind waves approaching shore

Waves ‘touch’ the bottom.
Wave period remains constant, wavelength decreases.
Wavelength
Wave speed =
Period
(Wavelength = Wave speed * Period)

and eventually become

Shallow water waves, so
Speed (m/s) = 3.1 * square root(depth in meters)
Wind waves approaching shore
Waves ‘touch’ the bottom.
Wave period remains constant, wavelength decreases.

Friction slows the bottom of the wave.

Waves approaching shore

✤
Bottom of wave slows even more as the depth
shallows, wave crest moves ahead of the base of the
wave.
✤ Wave breaks when the ratio of wave height to water
depth is ~3:4.
✤
How waves break depends on the beach slope.

Surf prediction
North shore swells come from Northern
Hemisphere winter storms.

South shore swells often come from Southern

Ocean storms.
Surf prediction
Network of ocean buoys measure wave
height, period, and direction.

Then account for height attenuation

and local shoaling effects.

hawaiibeachsafety.org

Tsunamis

Hilo, April 1946 after Alaskan earthquake (NOAA)

Tsunamis
✤Tsunamis can be caused by Earthquakes, Landslide,
volcanoes, and asteroid impacts. All of these suddenly
displace a large amount of water.

✤Have periods of about 20 minutes, and wavelengths of

about 200 km.

✤Average ocean depth is 4 km, so always a shallow water

water (depth < wavelength/20).

Earthquake generation

The March 11 2011 earthquake had a displacement of

about 20m over an area ~500 km by ~200 km.

Open ocean detection

In the deep ocean Tsunami waves have
small amplitudes, 10 to 50 cm.

Combined with their long wavelength, they

are hard to detect, enter DART.
Why are they dangerous?
Because of their long wavelength, the volume of the
displacement associated with a tsunami wave is huge.

When it shoals that volume piles up.

japan.mov
How to escape?
✤
Get to higher ground.
✤
Or go above the 3rd floor in a concrete building.
✤ If possible don’t get into your car, traffic jams are
inevitable.
✤ If the water recedes, don’t follow it. Run the other way.
✤ Know the evacuation zones are your home and work.

Waikiki Evacuation map

AM ST G ST KUILEI ST
E H1 FWY BINGH E ST MOKIHANA ST
Legend
8TH AVE

Kaimuki High
ARTE

COYN S KIN
LN
ALEX

7TH AVE
KAHUNA
SIAN

POHA

PALIULI ST
ANDE

11TH

Tsunami Evacuation Line

HAUS

KapiolaniCentral
MedicalUnion
Center
10TH
ST

KA

Preschool and Kindergarden

LN

AVE
R

PA
COOL

TEN

Tsunami Evacuation Zone

ST

9TH AVE

WINAM AVE
ISENB

AKE

AVE
PUNAHOU

VIL

ST

ST KAAHA
ST
IDG

MAKALEKA AVE
LA

A LN

NIA
LUKEPANE AVE

ST ST
S ST
OLOKELE AVE

RETA ROBA UU Fire Station

ERG

PALANI AVE
EKELA AVE

E
LN

E ST

S BE
AV

ALGA IP
LIAM

KA
MAHIAI ST

AU
ST

Ambulance
ST
ST

UP
WIL

OHE

A ST PE
LU

A ST

G ST IOL R ST
OLU

WA
MO

YOUN Hospital
T ST

McCully
ST
TH

DATE ST
ELSIE

HO

MAR

MES
ER

ST

ST
RON Police
RB

LE

JA
LN

ST

CIT
HE

ST

ST
ST
W
CA

LAAU ST
OKA

ELA

Public and Private School

INE

ST

Washington Middle
W
BR

ER

EN

ST
YD
TH

Shopping Mall
A

E ST
N
CA

HA

ED

LIM 'Iolani School

Major Street
UNIVERSITY AVE

Lunalilo Elementary Iolani School

KAMOKU ST
LAUIKI ST

ST
KAPAHU

ST Street
NAI Ala Wai Golf Course
O
L ST

MALA
AN

T
ST

IS
HIN

A ST
VA

Beach Park
KIN

NANE
ER

ST
DU
LU AVE

ST

MA

A
TH

ST
CIS

O
E ST

FERN
NA
ES

Ala Wai Elementary

AN

Mccully Shopping Ctr

KA
ORG
FR
ST

Ala Wai Clubhouse

GE

NU ST Palama Market
ER
MCCU

KANU
ST
ING

E
UK
LL

KA
LLY

LAUO Hawaii Center for the Deaf & Blind

PO

HO

WA
KA

ST

KA
IS

ST

LANI
HE

ALA WAI BLVD Waikiki (Hq.)

AU
T

Pawaa WA
KA

ST
KIM

Y
WAI NANI WAY

AINAKEA WAY

INA
KANEKAPOLEI ST
ST

KALAIMOKU ST

LA
NAMAHANA ST
KEONIANA ST

NOHONANI ST
OLOHANA ST

LEWERS ST
NIU ST

KA
WALINA ST

TUSITALA ST
KAIOLU ST
LAUNIU ST

ALOHA DR
NAHUA ST
PAU ST

KUAMOO ST

D
I BLV
PAOAKALANI AVE

LAN
KAPIO
OHUA AVE

CLEGHORN ST
ENA RD

KA

Jefferson Elementary
NA ST
NA

KO
DUKES LN
DR

INA
MALUH
DR
ON

AV

MAH Jefferson Orthopedic Unit

AI

Royal Hawaiian Market Place Market Place

KINS

International
E

KUHIO
LE

UK
AVE
HAK

ONA AVE
AH

Waikiki Shopping Plaza

IA RD

NO
AT

KOA AVE
KA

HOBRON LN

ST
I AV
ILANI

EL

Text
CARTWR Waikiki Elementary
Honolulu Zoo
A ST
E

IGHT E
RD
KEALOH

KAIOO DR AV
LEMON AT
Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center RD RR
NSA
SARATO

DON HO LN Kuhio Beach MO

BEACH WALK

Park
ALA MOAN ST
A HOLEI
GA RD

PAKI AVE

OWENA
NIKOLO

HOLOMO
KALIA RD
ST

ANA ST
PL

ST
PAOA

DR
Ala Wai Yacht Harbor Kapiolani Park
GA

RK
A PA
IL

AN Kapiolani Beach
ST

AL A MO Duke Paoa Park

Kahanamoku Beach Park

Kapiolani Park
Beach Center

Notes:

Remain at least 100 feet away from inland waterways and marinas
Map 1: Waikiki
connected to the ocean due to wave surges and possible flooding. KALAKA
Ala Moana State Rec Area UA AVE
If possible, remove or deploy vessels to deep water (at least 200
fathoms). 0 200 400 800
Structural steel or reinforced concrete buildings of six or more
Scale in Feet
stories provide increased protection on or above the third floor.
Prepared by: DPP (HOLIS)
The evacuation zone is a guideline and should be considered the
minimum safe evacuation distance. Data Source: City and County of Honolulu GIS

These maps do not consider the destructive effects of a locally

Note: Data represented on this map is not
generated tsunami. If you feel shaking, move inland immediately,
intended to replace site survey. Copyright City & County of Honolulu
well away from the evacuation zone. Date Prepared: Aug. 25, 2010 All Rights Reserved 2010

Some key ideas

✤ Deep water wave, D > L/2, speed: c=1.56*T; Longer
waves travel faster than shorter waves; Wave groups
travel at half the speed of individual waves.
✤ Shallow water wave, D < L/20, speed: c=3.1*sqrt(H);
They feel the bottom; They refract.
✤
Period remains constant when wave approach the shore.
✤ Swim across shore to get out of a rip current.
✤ Tsunamis are shallow water waves. They have periods of
around 20 minutes. Get out of their path!