TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

PLUNGING WAVE [3 records]

Record 1 2012-10-19

English

Subject field(s)
  • Oceanography
  • Hydrology and Hydrography
OBS

This wave starts as a plunging, then the wave catches up with the crest, and the breaker surges up the beach face as a wall of water(with the wave crest and base traveling at the same speed). This results in a quickly rising and falling water level on the beach face, which makes holding craft position and unloading very difficult.

OBS

Surging breakers are usually found on a beach with a very steep or near vertical slope.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Océanographie
  • Hydrologie et hydrographie
OBS

[Un déferlement à gonflement est un] déferlement à la côte [...] pour lequel l'apparition d'écume a lieu à mi-hauteur de la vague [...] et se rencontrerait sur les plages à forte pente.

Spanish

Save record 1

Record 2 2010-10-26

English

Subject field(s)
  • Hydrology and Hydrography
  • Paddle Sports
DEF

A tricky wave that remains in the same place athwart the river, and is formed by water pouring over a large obstacle in the riverbed and plunging down into a trough below it.

OBS

The term stopper has been applied to roller because that is exactly what it is likely to do to your boat if you linger too long in its vicinity.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Hydrologie et hydrographie
  • Sports de pagaie
DEF

Mouvement rotatif de l'eau, la vague retombe vers l'amont. Il est provoqué par un obstacle immergé et par un creux à l'arrière de l'obstacle.

CONT

Le rouleau est souvent dangereux, à éviter.

CONT

[...] dans certaines conditions, le rouleau se transforme en rappel, c'est-à-dire en une rotation constante et puissante de l'eau en sens inverse du courant.

Spanish

Save record 2

Record 3 2007-03-26

English

Subject field(s)
  • Oceanography
  • Hydrology and Hydrography
DEF

[A breaker] associated with beaches with steeper gradients, where wave energy is released suddenly as the crest curls and then descends violently.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Océanographie
  • Hydrologie et hydrographie
CONT

La vague commence à prendre la forme d'un rouleau lorsque la vitesse du mouvement orbital des particules propulse celles-ci en hauteur. Lorsqu'il n'y a pas suffisamment d'eau à l'avant de la vague pour compléter cette dernière de façon symétrique, la crête n'est plus supportée et elle finit par plonger. Ce type de brisant est appelé vague plongeante.

Spanish

Save record 3

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