Rolling in the Deep: Wave Orbital Motion

If the water molecule rises as the crest approaches and sinks as the trough follows, then it moves up and down. If it also moves slightly forward and backward with the energy, then the combined movement creates a circular path.

If the energy of a wave moves forward but the water particles return to almost their exact starting position after one cycle, then the particles are not being transported across the ocean.

If water molecules move in a loop as energy passes through the medium, then this specific repeating loop is known as orbital motion.

If a wave is a surface phenomenon, then the disturbance is greatest at the top. If the energy spreads downward but fades out, then the circular loops get smaller and eventually stop as you go deeper.

If the crest is the highest point of the wave energy, then the water particle is pushed in the direction of the wave's travel. If it is at the peak of its circle, then its motion is forward.

If the energy of the wave is provided by wind at the surface, then the circular disturbance is largest at the surface. If the energy dissipates as it moves downward, then the circles must become smaller with depth.

If the circular motion of particles gets smaller as you go deeper until it disappears, then that specific limit is the bottom of the wave's influence, known as the wave base.

If the circular path of the water hits the solid seafloor, then the bottom of the circle is restricted. If the bottom is restricted but the top keeps moving, then the circle is squashed into an oval or elliptical shape.

If a wave is larger and has more distance between peaks, then it carries more energy deeper into the ocean. If wind speed creates that energy, then wavelength and height directly affect the depth of the orbits.

If wave energy only penetrates to a depth equal to half of the wavelength, then any water deeper than that point will not feel the disturbance. If the water is deep enough, then it remains calm despite the size of the wave above.

If the buoy follows the water it is floating on, and if that water is performing a circular loop that ends where it began, then the buoy will simply return to its original spot after the wave passes.

If the reach of a wave's energy is mathematically tied to the distance between its crests, then the wave base is always found at 1/2 the distance of the wavelength. This is a key rule of wave orbital motion.

If a particle follows a circular path, then it must move through all four directions (up, forward, down, back) to complete the loop; however, it does not move to the deep ocean floor unless the water is very shallow.

If the circular path must be completed, then after moving forward at the crest, the particle must move backward at the bottom of the loop. If the trough is the bottom of the wave, then the particle is moving backward.

If the particle follows a closed or nearly closed circular loop, then it ends up almost exactly where it started. If it returns to its origin, then its total change in position (net displacement) is nearly zero.

If the water stays in one place but the "bump" of energy travels across the sea, then the movement of that energy is called propagation. This happens alongside wave orbital motion.

If wave speed is how fast the energy moves and orbital speed is how fast the particle rotates, then they are two different measurements. If a wave has more energy (height/speed), then the particles must move faster to complete their circles.

If longitudinal waves (like sound) involve back-and-forth movement and surface waves involve circular movement, then their orbital patterns are different. Only surface waves move in the circular paths described here.

If the bottom of the circular orbit hits the sand, it experiences friction and slows down. If the top of the wave is still moving fast, then the top "overtakes" the bottom and falls over, causing the wave to break.

If the particles only move in a circle and return to their spot, then they are not being transported. If they are not transported but the energy still moves, then the motion proves energy is what is traveling.