Ocean waves travel over the sea surface in the form of sinusoidal wave trains.
Offshore, waves are characterized by oscillatory motion of water molecules along circular paths. They are caused by wind, tides, atmospheric pressure systems and crustal disturbances such as earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions. When waves move into shallow water they interact with the bottom and ultimately break . Waves of different origin are characterized by different wavelength, period and speed . Wave speed is also influenced by water depth.