Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Foam on the sea.

Volume 1 Issue 2

La Fond E. C. and P. V. Bhavanarayana

Abstract

STRONG winds are the most common causes of foam formation on the open sea. Breaking wave crests entrap air, forming a mass of white foam. The number and duration of the whitecaps thus formed are frequently used, in accordance with the Beaufort scale, to estimate wind force. Near shore, large quantities of foam are also produced by the action of waves breaking on the beach, especially on rocky shores. The duration and dissipation of patches of foam are of interest, not only as a reference for wind force, but because they offer an indication of the surface circulation and of the organic concentration of the waters

Keywords

foam, slick,wind, plankton,  temparature, Bay of Bengal

Date : 23-12-1959