Coastal waves

Any oceanographers out there?

Just trying to get something clear.

As waves travel towards the coastline, they interact to an increasing degree with the shallowing sea bed. If the bed is relatively rough, then that provides more friction, which leads to the dissipation of the wave's energy through turbulence (more so than if the sea bed was smooth), so the energy is transferred down to smaller scales (where does it ultimately go?). Is this right?

Cheers

Originally posted by ElleEffSeee
Any oceanographers out there?

Just trying to get something clear.

As waves travel towards the coastline, they interact to an increasing degree with the shallowing sea bed. If the bed is relatively rough, then that provides more friction, which leads to the dissipation of the wave's energy through turbulence (more so than if the sea bed was smooth), ...[text shortened]... is transferred down to smaller scales (where does it ultimately go?). Is this right?

Cheers

…(where does it ultimately go?).
…

I can at least answer that question; when the wave breaks, the energy is converted to heat energy in the form of vibration of water molecules. So all that kinetic energy of the waves is converted to heat energy that very slightly increases the temperature of the water.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
[b]…(where does it ultimately go?).
…

I can at least answer that question; when the wave breaks, the energy is converted to heat energy in the form of vibration of water molecules. So all that kinetic energy of the waves is converted to heat energy that very slightly increases the temperature of the water.[/b]

...and also movement of pebbles, which grind them to smaller pebbles and particles.