CURIOUS WAVE MOTIONS IN CAROLINE BAY

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4841, 12 May 1890, Page 4

CURIOUS WAVE MOTIONS IN CAROLINE BAY

» A curious example of the influence of a shelving shore on the motions of the waves was observed during the prevalence of the late ground swell- " Walking along the short length of shingle beach, m the angle of. Caroline Bay at high tiJj " says the observer, '■ I several times saw the wave retreating from the beach set off as a tiny billow sea ward, or rather towards the Dorth mole. It seldom if ever reached the molo however, livery such reflected wave whose course could be clearly followed by the eve, travelled m a curve which brought it to the ehoro again At the southern end of the straight beach line, so that they broke ou the rocks there. Occasionally a curling wave ran nlong the southern third of tbi« short piece of beach, at ; right angles to it, with a curious effect as it crossed the direct waves rolling straight m and aUocnrling. Kor some time X w»9 puzzled (o say where these travel, so peculiar m their direction, came from ; at longth I traced two. or three from their source. Now and then— rarely, as' thougha combination of circnmgtances were necessary to produce it— a hnmpbacked wave would start seawards from tho anglo formed by the beach and the boulder bank north of it. As this wave travelled it lengthened out and flattened, and curved m its eoune so as to bring its landward end to the beach within a good stone's throw of where it set out for aea, and then it ran curling along at right angtet to the surf-lino.. I neglected to obaervo this point properly, but my impression is that the wave ceased tp swing round after it began to break." The teliaviour of these ' reflected' waves seemed< so peculiar, that others may find it interesting to look for and watch the fame phenomena when an opportunity; is again given."