How does an ocean wave change as it moves from deep water to shallow water?

In oceanography, surface waves are deformations of the surface of the oceans, i.e. at the ocean-atmosphere interface.

In deep water, the paths of particles are circular. In shallower water, the paths the particles follow are flat and look like ellipses. A deep water wave is considered shallow water when the wavelength λ becomes greater than twice the local water depth h. Changes in wave properties, however, occur before that, when λ = 20h.

It is very important that we note the distinction between deep and shallow water waves has almost or nothing to do with the absolute depth of water at a location, but is determined by the ratio of local depth to wavelength. Deep oceans may be considered shallow relative to waves provided that the wavelength is greater than twice the local depth. This is the case of tides for example.

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