Differentiate between currents and waves in points
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Waves
Waves are defined as the movement of water that occurs on the surface of water bodies like oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. While no two waves are identical, they share common traits like having a measurable height which is defined as the distance from its crest to its trough.
Types of waves
There are many different types of waves such as capillary waves, ripples, seas and swells and they can manifest in a range of shapes and sizes, such as small waves or big swells that can travel over longdistances. The size and shape of the wave can also reveal its origin. A small and choppy wave most likely was formed locally by a storm for example while larges waves with high crests suggest origins from far away, possibly in another hemisphere. The size of a wave is usually determined by the distance which the wind blows over the open water, the length of time the wind blows for and the speed of the wind. The greater the above specified parameters, the larger the wave
Currents
The large masses of water moving in a specific direction from one location to another are known as currents. They occur on open bodies of water like oceans and are usually measured in knots or meters per second.
These currents are known to affect the Earth’s climate by driving warm waters from the equator and cold waters from the poles around the earth. For example, the warm Gulf Stream is known to bring milder weather to Norway as opposed to New York which is further south [6]. There are a range of different currents such as 1) surface currents which are affected by wind patterns that usually occur at depths of no more than 300 m and 2) world oceanic currents such as the warm Gulf Stream explained above and El Nino currents for example.
Waves are defined as the movement of water that occurs on the surface of water bodies like oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. While no two waves are identical, they share common traits like having a measurable height which is defined as the distance from its crest to its trough.
Types of waves
There are many different types of waves such as capillary waves, ripples, seas and swells and they can manifest in a range of shapes and sizes, such as small waves or big swells that can travel over longdistances. The size and shape of the wave can also reveal its origin. A small and choppy wave most likely was formed locally by a storm for example while larges waves with high crests suggest origins from far away, possibly in another hemisphere. The size of a wave is usually determined by the distance which the wind blows over the open water, the length of time the wind blows for and the speed of the wind. The greater the above specified parameters, the larger the wave
Currents
The large masses of water moving in a specific direction from one location to another are known as currents. They occur on open bodies of water like oceans and are usually measured in knots or meters per second.
These currents are known to affect the Earth’s climate by driving warm waters from the equator and cold waters from the poles around the earth. For example, the warm Gulf Stream is known to bring milder weather to Norway as opposed to New York which is further south [6]. There are a range of different currents such as 1) surface currents which are affected by wind patterns that usually occur at depths of no more than 300 m and 2) world oceanic currents such as the warm Gulf Stream explained above and El Nino currents for example.
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