Water is one of the natural resources on Earth which is considered as a non-biological natural resource. The existence of water is rife on Earth; basically a whole lot more than the portion of the land. The amount of water itself is about two-thirds on Earth. Commonly, that existence is in the form of ocean or sea, but some are in the form of fresh water such as rivers, lakes, swamps, and so on. Learning about water, of course, we know that water has several properties. Some of the properties of water are as follows:
- Water can penetrate a small gap.
- Water can change form.
- Water occupies space.
- Water has a weight/mass.
- Water presses in all directions.
- The calm water surface will always be flat.
- Water flows to a lower place.
- Water can dissolve some substances.
Mentioned above are some of the properties of water. Stagnant water, be it contains a lot of substance or even a little, also has properties. For the example is a river. The river has an elongated shape so that the nature of the water flowing to a lower place is very visible. That kind of water movement is called the current. River currents are visible from the surface; however currents that occur in the sea are not as visible on the surface. The movement of water seen at the surface of the sea is what we usually call as wave. (Refer to 13 Functions of Sea Waves You Must Know for further reading). Now, in this article, we will discuss the difference between sea wave and ocean flow. For more details, let us see the explanation below.
Understanding Sea Wave and Ocean Flow
Before knowing the difference between sea wave and ocean flow, it would be better to start from their respective understanding first. The sea wave is a movement of the rise and fall of sea water that is not accompanied by mass transfer of the sea water, while the so-called ocean flow is the movement of the mass of seawater from one place to another. The movement of this ocean flow is horizontal, while the movement of the sea wave is vertical so that the mass of water does not move to other places, only up and down. That is the understanding of sea wave and also ocean flow. Then, what is the difference between those two? To discuss the differences between sea wave and ocean flow, let us look at the following description.
Difference between Sea Wave and Ocean Flow
We already knew about the understanding of sea wave and ocean flow. From the understanding stated above, it is clear that those two things are different in many aspects. The profound difference is clearly seen from the direction of movement of the mass of the water, where there is a vertical and also a horizontal. Then, is that all? No, certainly not. The differences between sea wave and ocean flow are as follows:
1.) Direction of Water Mass Movement
The first difference between sea wave and ocean flow is the direction of their movement. We know that sea wave and ocean flow are movements of water masses; however, both are very different. Sea wave is the movement of a water mass with a vertical direction, or up and down. This event causes the inability of the mass of water to move to other places; hence the only up and down movement. Meanwhile, ocean flow is a horizontal displacement of sea water. This event causes the ability of the mass of water to move from one place to another, so it is not surprising that the object dragged by ocean flow can move to a distant place.
2.) Factors that Influence the Immersion
The second difference between sea wave and ocean flow is seen from the factors that influence them. The several factors that affect sea wave include the speed of the wind in the ocean, the length of the wind blowing in the concerned area, the area affected by the wind, the depth of the sea water, and the vibrations that arise at the base of the Earth’s crust. Meanwhile, several factors that influence ocean flow include differences in salinity, differences in temperature, wind blows, and differences in sea water level. (Refer to Uses of Rising Sea Levels You Must Know for further reading).
3.) Location of the Occurrence
Last but not least, the difference between the two could be seen from the location of the occurrence. Sea wave usually appears on the surface that causes a wave-like sensation. Meanwhile, ocean flow usually occurs below the sea level so that it does not appear on the surface. However, keep in mind that if something is dragged into the middle of the sea, it is not solely because of sea wave, but because of the power of ocean flow that can move objects from one place to another.
So, those are some information about sea wave and ocean flow, especially the differences between the two. We hope that the information that we have conveyed may be useful for all of us.
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