1. Wave Refraction:
* How it works: When waves approach a coastline with rocks, they don't hit the rocks straight on. Instead, the part of the wave that encounters the rocks slows down. This causes the wave to bend, or refract, around the rocks.
* Water level effect: The wave crests bend and concentrate towards the rocks, resulting in higher water levels on the side of the rock facing the oncoming wave. The water level on the other side of the rock will be lower.
2. Wave Diffraction:
* How it works: Waves have a tendency to spread out, or diffract, when they encounter obstacles. As waves pass around rocks, they spread out on the other side, filling in the gaps behind the rocks.
* Water level effect: The spreading of the waves creates a slightly higher water level in the area behind the rocks.
3. Wave Reflection:
* How it works: When waves hit a solid object like a rock, some of the wave energy is reflected back. The reflected wave can interfere with the incoming wave, creating complex patterns.
* Water level effect: The combination of incoming and reflected waves can create fluctuating water levels near the rock, sometimes causing slightly higher or lower water levels depending on the wave conditions.
4. Rock Structure and Size:
* How it works: The size, shape, and arrangement of rocks greatly influence wave behavior. Larger rocks have a greater impact on wave refraction and reflection. A cluster of rocks will cause more significant wave disruption compared to a single rock.
* Water level effect: Larger rocks and clusters of rocks will generally lead to more pronounced changes in water level around them.
Overall, the effects of rocks on wave-induced water level changes are complex and depend on many factors. However, the general principle is that rocks can disrupt wave patterns, leading to localized variations in water level around them.
