conoidal wave
hydrology
Quick Summary
A conoidal wave is a type of wave profile that is distorted from a sinusoidal shape, with flattened troughs and sharpened crests. This occurs when a wave's amplitude is large compared to its length. In deeper water, the maximum height of such a wave is one-seventh of its length, and as it approaches this limit, the crests break, forming whitecaps. In shallower water, these long-amplitude waves steepen as they move towards the shore, eventually breaking. The energy of a wave is proportional to the square of its amplitude.1
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