For the phenomenon of general relativity, see Gravitational wave.
Wave in or at the interface between fluids where gravity is the main equilibrium force
Surface gravity wave, breaking on an ocean beach in Tučepi, CroatiaWave clouds over Theresa, Wisconsin, United States
Nonfree image: detailed animation of a water wave
Detailed animation of water wave motion (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Atmospheric gravity waves at Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia as seen from space
In fluid dynamics, gravity waves are waves generated in a fluid medium or at the interface between two media when the force of gravity or buoyancy tries to restore equilibrium. An example of such an interface is that between the atmosphere and the ocean, which gives rise to wind waves.
A gravity wave results when fluid is displaced from a position of equilibrium. The restoration of the fluid to equilibrium will produce a movement of the fluid back and forth, called a wave orbit.[1] Gravity waves on an air–sea interface of the ocean are called surface gravity waves (a type of surface wave), while gravity waves that are within the body of the water (such as between parts of different densities) are called internal waves. Wind-generated waves on the water surface are examples of gravity waves, as are tsunamis and ocean tides.
The period of wind-generated gravity waves on the free surface of the Earth's ponds, lakes, seas and oceans are predominantly between 0.3 and 30 seconds (corresponding to frequencies between 3 Hz and 30 mHz). Shorter waves are also affected by surface tension and are called gravity–capillary waves and (if hardly influenced by gravity) capillary waves. Alternatively, so-called infragravity waves, which are due to subharmonic nonlinear wave interaction with the wind waves, have periods longer than the accompanying wind-generated waves.[2]
^Lighthill, James (2001), Waves in fluids, Cambridge University Press, p. 205, ISBN 978-0-521-01045-0
^Bromirski, Peter D.; Sergienko, Olga V.; MacAyeal, Douglas R. (2010), "Transoceanic infragravity waves impacting Antarctic ice shelves", Geophysical Research Letters, 37 (L02502): n/a, Bibcode:2010GeoRL..37.2502B, doi:10.1029/2009GL041488, S2CID 38071443.
fluid dynamics, gravitywaves are waves generated in a fluid medium or at the interface between two media when the force of gravity or buoyancy tries...
Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity that are generated by the accelerated masses of binary stars and other motions of gravitating...
gravity–capillary waves which are influenced by both the effects of surface tension and gravity, as well as by fluid inertia. Ordinary gravitywaves have...
Internal waves are gravitywaves that oscillate within a fluid medium, rather than on its surface. To exist, the fluid must be stratified: the density...
surface waves and are mainly gravitywaves, where gravity is the main equilibrium force. Wind waves have a certain amount of randomness: subsequent waves differ...
of mechanical waves are seismic waves, gravitywaves, surface waves and string vibrations. In an electromagnetic wave (such as light), coupling between...
connection with standing waves and even for random waves. The examples below describe Stokes waves under the action of gravity (without surface tension...
meteorology, lee waves are atmospheric stationary waves. The most common form is mountain waves, which are atmospheric internal gravitywaves. These were discovered...
physics, gravity (from Latin gravitas 'weight') is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things that have mass. Gravity is,...
each fluid particle (typically gravity). Under typical conditions, however, the movement of waves is described by Airy wave theory, which posits that fluid...
radio, acoustic, surface water waves, gravitywaves, or matter waves as well as in loudspeakers as electrical waves. The word interference is derived...
A magnetogravity wave is a type of plasma wave. A magnetogravity wave is an acoustic gravitywave which is associated with fluctuations in the background...
of several weather features—including a cold front, a dry line, and a gravitywave—provided locally favorable conditions for rotating thunderstorms and...
dynamics, an edge wave is a surface gravitywave fixed by refraction against a rigid boundary, often a shoaling beach. Progressive edge waves travel along...
Rogue waves (also known as freak waves, monster waves, episodic waves, killer waves, extreme waves, and abnormal waves) are unusually large and unpredictable...
subclasses of equatorial waves known as the mixed Rossby-gravitywave (also known as the Yanai wave) and the equatorial Kelvin wave. The latter two share...
physics, a surface wave is a mechanical wave that propagates along the interface between differing media. A common example is gravitywaves along the surface...
dynamics, Airy wave theory (often referred to as linear wave theory) gives a linearised description of the propagation of gravitywaves on the surface...
Infragravity waves are surface gravitywaves with frequencies lower than the wind waves – consisting of both wind sea and swell – thus corresponding with...
system relied on a stable isotope of E115, which allegedly generates a gravitywave that allowed the vehicle to fly and to evade visual detection by bending...
another. Furthermore, time and size scales for gravitywaves and mammatus do not match up entirely. Gravitywave trains may be responsible for organizing the...
means that gravitational waves obey a massive wave equation and hence travel at speeds below the speed of light. Massive gravity has a long and winding...
The nonlinearity of surface gravitywaves refers to their deviations from a sinusoidal shape. In the fields of physical oceanography and coastal engineering...
Flexural gravitywaves (FGW) are three-dimensional oscillations of forces which occur within a disturbed liquid and are usually observed as surface waves. There...
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Detailed animation of water wave motion (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0)