Wave Formation

Wave formation is a science, and a flaming technical one at that! It would be foolish or even down right stupid to try to explain in detail; as you would probably stop reading after the first few paragraphs of scientific jargon or fall a sleep in a pile of your own excrement, extremely tired, with a headache to match your worst ever hangover and still not be any the wiser on ‘how waves are formed’. Also, even I don’t fully understand the full technicalities of it in the first place.

Wave formation is most commonly recorded by off shore buoys. (Many websites include a wave formation chart; either in 2D or as an animation)

In brief:

The surface of the water is pushed along by the wind; but only powers the top part of the wave, thus creating troughs. As the water gets closer to the shore, friction from the beach slows the lower part of the wave. The top part of the wave carries on building momentum; forming a crest, then the wave starts to peak and finally to break.










Diagram of a breaking wave: