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Dünung

English translation: deep water swell waves

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Dünung
English translation:deep water swell waves
Entered by: David Williams

13:11 Sep 5, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Geography / Oceanography
German term or phrase: Dünung
CONTEXT:
Wie stark sind die Wellen am Seegrund, die so genannte Dünung?

I'm not familiar with "waves" on the seabed or a lake bed, but it appears they are called swell, swell waves, or wave-swells. Can anyone confirm?

Refs:
The wave-swells are called dunung
http://vunex.blogspot.com/2007/04/rilib-and-kaelib.html

swell-generated waves are mixed with normal sea waves
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swell_(ocean)

swell [swel] noun
a rolling condition of the sea, usually after a storm
German: die Dünung
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/swell

Dünung und Windstau
These remarks trie to explain the behaviour of local wind effect on the coast under the additional influence of swell approximately running parallel to the wind's direction. Owing to the high speed of long swell waves the wind's tangential shearing strain on the water masses may become less effective than it would do if no coincidence with swell waves would occur.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/u54jn41n1417xq16/
David Williams
Germany
Local time: 19:12
deep water swell waves
Explanation:
I haven't found references to lakes, but in case this really is about the sea instead of lakes, it could be the right term.

Swell waves can travel for long distances in deep water without losing the energy they acquired from the wind. But when they travel into shallow water their shape and direction changes. In shallow water, the waves slow down, their crests can bend and change direction, and their vertical profile steepens. They become so steep that they fall over themselves, breaking and losing most of their energy in the surf zone.
A group at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography uses computer models to predict how deep water swell waves will change direction and height as they enter shallow water along the California coast. In southern California, islands and an irregular coastline cause large changes in the swell waves from place to place.
http://www.earthscape.org/t1/grk04/grk04a.html
Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:12
Grading comment
Perfect, that avoids the problem of pluiral waves and singular swell too - thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4swell
casper (X)
3deep water swell waves
Kim Metzger


Discussion entries: 9





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
swell


Explanation:
Confirmed by the German and English Glossary of Geographical Terms by Eric Fischer and Francis E. Elliott, published by the American Geographical Society


To cite from a reference provided by you in the context:
swell: A long wave on water that moves continuously without breaking.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/swell

casper (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, but as I specified in my question, my context has nothing to do with waves on water ("A long wave on water"). My source is referring to a lake bed: CONTEXT: Wie stark sind die Wellen am Seegrund, die so genannte Dünung?

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58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
deep water swell waves


Explanation:
I haven't found references to lakes, but in case this really is about the sea instead of lakes, it could be the right term.

Swell waves can travel for long distances in deep water without losing the energy they acquired from the wind. But when they travel into shallow water their shape and direction changes. In shallow water, the waves slow down, their crests can bend and change direction, and their vertical profile steepens. They become so steep that they fall over themselves, breaking and losing most of their energy in the surf zone.
A group at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography uses computer models to predict how deep water swell waves will change direction and height as they enter shallow water along the California coast. In southern California, islands and an irregular coastline cause large changes in the swell waves from place to place.
http://www.earthscape.org/t1/grk04/grk04a.html


Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 68
Grading comment
Perfect, that avoids the problem of pluiral waves and singular swell too - thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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