Teaching ocean wave forecasting using computer-generated visualization and animation—Part 1: sea forecasting

Ocean waves are the most recognized phenomena in oceanography. Unfortunately, undergraduate study of ocean wave dynamics and forecasting involves mathematics and physics and therefore can pose difficulties with some students because of the subject's interrelated dependence on time and space. Ve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers & geosciences Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 537 - 546
Main Author: Whitford, Dennis J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2002
Elsevier Science
Subjects:
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Education
Exact sciences and technology
Marine
Marine geology
MATLAB
Oceanography
Wave dynamics
Wave height
Wave height
Oceanography
Wave dynamics
Education
MATLAB
dynamics
computer programs
education
oceanography
breaking waves
prediction
ocean waves
ISSN:0098-3004, 1873-7803
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Ocean waves are the most recognized phenomena in oceanography. Unfortunately, undergraduate study of ocean wave dynamics and forecasting involves mathematics and physics and therefore can pose difficulties with some students because of the subject's interrelated dependence on time and space. Verbal descriptions and two-dimensional illustrations are often insufficient for student comprehension. Computer-generated visualization and animation offer a visually intuitive and pedagogically sound medium to present geoscience, yet there are very few oceanographic examples. A two-part article series is offered to explain ocean wave forecasting using computer-generated visualization and animation. This paper, Part 1, addresses forecasting of sea wave conditions and serves as the basis for the more difficult topic of swell wave forecasting addressed in Part 2. Computer-aided visualization and animation, accompanied by oral explanation, are a welcome pedagogical supplement to more traditional methods of instruction. In this article, several MATLAB ® software programs have been written to visualize and animate development and comparison of wave spectra, wave interference, and forecasting of sea conditions. These programs also set the stage for the more advanced and difficult animation topics in Part 2. The programs are user-friendly, interactive, easy to modify, and developed as instructional tools. By using these software programs, teachers can enhance their instruction of these topics with colorful visualizations and animation without requiring an extensive background in computer programming.
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ISSN:0098-3004
1873-7803
DOI:10.1016/S0098-3004(01)00058-9