Underwater sound waves can be used to make surface waves more powerful to unlock their energy potential, say Cardiff University researchers.
The power in ocean waves offers immense potential as a source of renewable energy and immense threat through tsunamis. However, harnessing this energy and converting into a useful form has proven challenging.
Usama Kadri, lead study author, said: “The waves on the surface of the ocean are often created by a combination of wind raising up water and gravity pulling it back down – hence they’re sometimes referred to as surface-gravity waves.
“On the other hand, their underwater counterparts are sound waves produced by phenomena like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, sometimes thousands of metres below the surface.”
These acoustic waves travel by compressing and expanding the water, similar to how sound moves through the air.
Acoustic waves travel across the ocean at the speed of sound in the water – around 1,500 metres per second – before eventually...