Wind wave

In <a href="/facts/Fluid_dynamics/y7uzSCfg">fluid dynamics</a>, a wind wave, or wind-generated water wave, is a <a href="/facts/Surface_wave/YexYxuur">surface wave</a> that occurs on the <a href="/facts/Free_surface/NB0yMSxH">free surface</a> of <a href="/facts/Body_of_water/MoDAUuW4">bodies of water</a> as a result of the <a href="/facts/Wind/Nt0QIu5B">wind</a> blowing over the water's surface. The contact distance in the <a href="/facts/Wind_direction/IjdaT59D">direction of the wind</a> is known as the <a href="/facts/Wind_fetch/wpxBuqTI">fetch</a>. Waves in the oceans can travel thousands of kilometers before reaching land. Wind waves on Earth range in size from small <a href="/facts/Capillary_wave/KnCg8GAg">ripples</a> to waves over 30 m (100 ft) high, being limited by wind speed, duration, fetch, and water depth.
When directly generated and affected by local wind, a wind wave system is called a wind sea. Wind waves will travel in a <a href="/facts/Great_circle_route/4fGj4Mxr">great circle route</a> after being generated – curving slightly left in the southern hemisphere and slightly right in the northern hemisphere. After moving out of the area of fetch and no longer being affected by the local wind, wind waves are called <a href="/facts/Swell_(ocean)/k95FFfQc">swells</a> and can travel thousands of kilometers. A noteworthy example of this is waves generated south of Tasmania during heavy winds that will travel across the Pacific to southern California, producing desirable surfing conditions. Wind waves in the ocean are also called ocean surface waves and are mainly <a href="/facts/Gravity_waves/HHazND81">gravity waves</a>, where <a href="/facts/Gravity/bqAN7DdQ">gravity</a> is the main equilibrium force.
Wind waves have a certain amount of <a href="/facts/Randomness/QJQBoEX5">randomness</a>: subsequent waves differ in height, duration, and shape with limited predictability. They can be described as a <a href="/facts/Stochastic_process/Ng1n1dnB">stochastic process</a>, in combination with the physics governing their generation, growth, propagation, and decay – as well as governing the interdependence between flow quantities such as the <a href="/facts/Free_surface/NB0yMSxH">water surface</a> movements, <a href="/facts/Flow_velocity/amIT4Ht8">flow velocities</a>, and water <a href="/facts/Pressure/eyc37GRG">pressure</a>. The key <a href="/facts/Statistic/av21WaMK">statistics</a> of wind waves (both seas and swells) in evolving <a href="/facts/Sea_state/eIGaYdlJ">sea states</a> can be predicted with <a href="/facts/Wind_wave_model/pm4tItxW">wind wave models</a>.
Although waves are usually considered in the water seas of Earth, the hydrocarbon seas of <a href="/facts/Titan_(moon)/lg0l9PCH">Titan</a> may also have wind-driven waves. Waves in bodies of water may also be generated by other causes, both at the surface and underwater (such as <a href="/facts/Watercraft/XX8YawP1">watercraft</a>, <a href="/facts/Animal/4b8J33nd">animals</a>, <a href="/facts/Waterfall/CDyaLQIQ">waterfalls</a>, <a href="/facts/Landslide/sXSzA31e">landslides</a>, <a href="/facts/Earthquake/NGjIzagw">earthquakes</a>, <a href="/facts/Bubble_(physics)/99TogqIG">bubbles</a>, and <a href="/facts/Impact_event/fbWu9Q4p">impact events</a>).

Wind wave open-in-new

Wind wave