Wave shoaling and the angular frequency is proportional to its local rate of change, Simplifying to one dimension and cross-differentiating it is now easily seen that the above definitions indicate simply that the rate of change of wavenumber is balanced by the convergence of the frequency along a ray; Assuming stationary conditions (formula_27), this implies that wave crests are conserved and the frequency must remain constant along a wave ray as formula_28. As waves enter shallower waters, the decrease in group velocity caused by the reduction in water depth leads to a reduction in wave length formula_29 because the nondispersive shallow water
Wind wave Wave refraction is the process that occurs when waves interact with the sea bed as the wave crests align themselves as a result of approaching decreasing water depths at an angle to the depth contours. Varying depths along a wave crest cause the crest to travel at different phase speeds, with those parts of the wave in deeper water moving faster than those in shallow water. This process continues until the crests become (nearly) parallel to the depth contours. Rays—lines normal to wave crests between which a fixed amount of energy flux is contained—converge on local shallows and shoals. Therefore,