The waves of the ocean have an important role for life on earth, to read more about it. The following below here are 17 functions of ocean waves that we should understand.
- Ocean waves
Ocean waves occur due to winds that affect the surface of the sea water in the direction perpendicular. Here finally waves of seawater occur and cause of hill. The waves that occur that we often see are called internal waves.
What about the movement of the wave to the beach? The movement of sea wave travel to the coast is actually dependent on wind distance. The longer the fetch distance the wave height that will occur will be greater. See also Uses of Ocean Wave Energy
2. Type of wave
There are two types of ocean waves that must be known, the first is a constructive wave. It is an ocean wave that has a small height and low velocity. This ocean wave is not dangerous, the ocean waves are usually directly broke on the beach and broken sea water waves seep into the sand and slowly re-flow into the sea.
Second, the destructive wave is a wave that has a very high altitude and a large creepage velocity. Ocean waves like this are usually found on the southern coast. With the great ocean wave, it can hit the coast and the volume of water collected does not seep into the sand.
3. Maintaining climate stability
There are no waves in the ocean, the balance of climate temperature in the world will not be balanced. Some research suggests that ocean waves can actually minimize the extreme temperatures on earth. Here is the role of waves, it moves cold water from the poles moving toward to the warm water from the equator, and otherwise.
Warm water from the equator will be moved moving towards the cold water at the poles. The movement of ocean wave it keeps the balance of climate on earth happening to this day. See also Effects of Ocean Waves On Shorelines
4. The occurrence of gas exchange
When the waves occur, there is a gas exchange where the oxygen will come out and the carbon dioxide into the ocean waves. The carbon dioxide entering the ocean turns into carbonic acid which makes the ocean acidic. This acidity makes the pH of the seas fall and decreases the ability of corals to build their own skeletal structures.
However, if the increase in marine acid increases more than usual, it can have an effect on coral reefs and marine animals that live in it, such as fish, shellfish, and plankton. The effect of this acidification is usually the difficulty of living things to reproduce the growth and digestion of food.
5. Increase the ability of the adaptation of living things
The presence of ocean waves can actually make living things stronger in adaptation in their environment. The example is the crab that is walking on the shoreline. When the waves come and sweep the beach the crab will definitely try to survive the waves of the beach.
Its ability in defense so as not to be swept away the ocean waves is getting stronger. So also with other marine life creatures such as fish and even newly hatched baby turtles that move towards the sea for survival. See also Characteristics of Waves in The Ocean
6. Increases the evolution of living things
Sea waves have other functions, especially in marine biodiversity. The presence of waves caused by this wind allows the larvae or eggs of sea creatures to be transported and carried as far as possible to excite new marine species.
This incident is very evident, as we have seen from antiquity to the present, the evolution of marine civilization has undergone significant changes. Imagine if there are no ocean waves, then evolution will never happen, right? It is so fabulous.
7. The advantages of ocean waves
The presence of ocean waves can also generate advantages between two living things, marine organisms, and corals. Corals that are constantly being battered by waves from time to time will surely be eroded by water.
However, the presence of marine organisms capable of adapting to the waves, it will attach to corals here marine organisms actually help to delay coral erosion caused by ocean waves. This event is called the symbiotic mutualism, or it can be called as equally beneficial of conditions between living things with one another.
See also Waves in Ocean
8. There will be no beach
No ocean waves, it would not be possible the beach could exist. The ocean waves usually occur due to winds that blow a bit and make the water pressure unbalanced. This unbalanced water pressure is called the waves. The beach can be formed due to the transport and sedimentation of materials carried by the waves to the mainland.
Beaches, the coastal plains can be formed due to the evolution of the sediment process. This process lasts for thousands of years to form a land of ramps at sea. That is why the coast is also referred to as the boundary between land and sea waters.
9. Ocean wave energy
The ocean wave energy is one of the potentials for marine energy to generate electricity. Several major countries such as Britain, France, and Japan have developed the potential of ocean wave energy to generate electricity. One of the wave energy used is tidal energy.
Where electrical energy is generated from the movement of seawater by utilizing the movement of tidal waves of the sea towards the mainland and otherwise. To convert the ocean wave energy into electricity, it is necessary to have a system to turn a turbine generator. With this turbine generator, the clean electricity is created.
10. The alternative ocean wave technology
Some of the alternative ocean wave development technologies that have been created are Tapered Channel technology and Oscillating Water Column technique. Tapered Channel is a simple technology where seawater residing in the container basin is returned back to the sea through a conduit connected to a generator turbine to generate electricity.
While Oscillating Water Column technique is a little-complicated technology where this technology through two stages. The first stage, the incoming sea waves will press the air on the open water column. The next stage will be forwarded to a column with an enclosed space where this room is connected with a turbine generator.
This is where the pressure will move the generator turbine. Variations of ocean wave energy technology will continue and remain to this day. With the existence of this renewable technology is expected to suppress the existence of global warming that has occurred.
11. Wind
Wind is the biggest factor in the occurrence of sea waves. Wind speed, water depth, and wind distance are very important factors here.
The size of the sea waves is determined by how much the wind blows. If the wind blows very hard, then the waves generated are very large, as happened during a storm. Otherwise, if the wind blows small or medium, then the waves yan produced is small and does not harm the living things around.
12. Earthquake
One more cause of the wave is the occurrence of earthquakes in the sea. Earth-based earthquakes have enormous potential for generating giant waves that can sweep across coastal areas to the land so easily. When an earthquake occurs, the tectonic plate on the seabed moves. This movement is what makes water slammed and with a very high-speed giant wave occur and swept across the coastal areas.
See also Movement of Ocean Water
13. The broke ocean wave
The ocean waves are used a man for sports, surfing. For surfers climbing the breaking waves is something they keep pursuing. Breaking ocean waves is one type of waves that cannot reach its peak.
This is influenced by steepness and big waves, then the waves break cannot be avoided. Some types of waves that must be known by the surfers and rescuers of the beach there are three types. Rolling waves are the safest waves for surfing and usually, this type of waves are found in flat coastlines. Second, the dumping wave is a wave that is usually used for experienced surfers.
This wave is very strong pushing surfers to the sea because of the strong winds. The last is the big waves that occur on the shoreline. This is the most dangerous wave because, in addition to dropping surfers, it will be dragged them into the deep ocean.
14. Ocean Storms
Ocean wave disasters, ocean storms can occur due to large-speed winds that affect the surface of the sea, so the ocean water level to fall up. A strong whirlwind followed by tidal and tropical cyclones could also be the cause of a sea storm.
The tropical cyclone is a tropical region with warm temperatures and the tropics are located in latitude 10 – 20 degrees LU / LS. Below here are some signs that the storm will occur is the presence of large dark high clouds, the presence of lightning from a distance or the sound of thunder seen from afar and the sky suddenly dark.
If these signs are seen, the storm will occur. As a safety measure if you are outside the home you should avoid storms if possible and enter in sturdy buildings and most importantly avoid sheltering under trees, billboards and more.
15. Abrasion
Abrasion can occur due to an unbalanced ecosystem state. Illegal sand mining is a direct cause of abrasion.
Moreover, if there is no mangrove planting along the coastline. Abrasion if this situation continues to be allowed to erode the coastal area will continue to be the main target. It is not impossible that the initially large coastal area could become narrow due to this abrasion. For that, the prevention we must do is to replant mangrove forests, replant coral reefs that are damaged and not to dispose of waste in coastal areas.
16. Tidal wave
The tidal wave is a wave that occurs due to the gravity of the earth, the sun, and the moon. These waves are usually predictable and measured up to the time when they occur.
A tidal wave is divided into two, namely pairs of full moon where this incident in high tide full moon very large compared to other days. This happens every 1 and 15, when the position of the moon, the earth, and the sun are in a straight line. The second is a small tidal wave that occurs on the 7th and 21st, wherein this state the position of the moon, earth, and sun forms the angle of the elbow. In here the tide is smaller than the other day.
See also Functions Of Ocean Ecosystem
17. Tsunami
Tsunami is the greatest sea wave disaster ever. Tsunamis can occur due to some of these things. The earthquake where this earthquake occurred centered in the middle of the shallow sea. The earthquake that occurred at least magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale with the pattern of a cesarean magnitude up or down. If some of these things happen then it is certain that tsunami symptoms will occur. So, beware if you see these signs.
Hopefully, the 17 functions of ocean waves can help you to know what are really the functions of ocean waves. The functions of ocean waves there are two sides, bad and good sides. Both sides have their own role in order to balance the universe.