Therefore, the passage of waves can be recorded. The vertical distance separating the crest from the trough. The horizontal distance between the crest of one wave and the crest of the successive wave. The time it takes two successive waves to pass a fixed point. The wave period is a useful way to classify waves.
Capillary waves are small waves with periods of less than one-tenth of a second.
They are most easily seen on a flat, calm sea when a puff of wind abruptly disturbs the water surface making tiny, short-lived wave lets. Very long periods of minutes and tens of minutes are associated with seismic sea waves or tsunamis. A seiche is the back and forth sloshing of water in harbors lasting between a few minutes and several hours.