Wind wave

Waves produced by wind.

This is an oversimplification. With a few exceptions, like tsunamis and current waves, all waves are produced by wind.

Wind causes tiny ripples on the water. Once the water is rippled, it adds more surface area with which the wind can move more water and grow larger waves. See Wave propagation.

Swell is a wave caused by wind, but wind or storms hundreds or thousands of miles away. By the time swell nears the opposite shore, it has smoothed into glassy rollers.

The size of waves are determined by the distance over which the wind blows, or fetch, and the strength of wind.

In coastal parlance, wind waves are waves created locally by local or regional winds, and these waves are often superimposed on ocean Swell. The term Seas should be used to distinguish waves created by local winds from ocean swell. Visibly, seas are much choppier than fully developed waves that have traveled greater distances.

See Seas, Surf wave