Surface waves are the kind of waves that occur on the surface of the ocean. The reason behind their occurrence is the geological effects, usually in the form of winds in near geographical regions or in that region.
These waves reach the land when the geological winds give a push to the waves and they travel miles and finally hit the land. These waves range in sizes, for small sizes to the the size of tsunami.
"Surface waves" are also known as <em>"wind-generated waves." </em>Such waves occur on the surface of the water that has a<u> zero parallel shear stress.</u> Their speed upon reaching the land will depend upon the<em> wind blowing over the fluid's surface.</em> So, this means that they could travel several miles before actually reaching the land. They could also come in different sizes, from <em>small ripples</em> to <em>big tsunamis. </em>
The factors that tell the time when the surface waves reach the land are: <em>wind speed, depth of the water, wind duration, the area that is affected by the fetch (width) and the uninterrupted distance of open water.</em>
