So the main reason I got up early today and went for a run was because when I woke up and checked the weather forecast, it said that it would be raining and even snowing for the next hour. And since I wanted a really good reason to hang on my sofa and drink hot tea all day long, I though going for a run in that weather would certainly earn me that.

Yep, and then the weather was absolutely beautiful, and I got a lot of cool wave watching done!

Below, you see the straight wave crests from wind generated waves and then the half circles that radiate away from something sitting below the edge of the sea wall. Couldn’t see what it was since I couldn’t stop before I had run my 5k! ;-) But I am guessing it was a bird.

Next picture when I was done with my run already and — even better — had been inside the water, too! You see the wind wave field: High surface roughness in the top right where capillary waves are generated locally, larger, longer wavelength “normal” waves in the top right. And then the half circles radiating away from where the staircase goes into the water, which is interacting with the wave field.

Here is a different wave field from a different spot: Towards the left, you mainly see the wind waves. And to the right, you see that someone is scrubbing another one of the staircases leading into the water with a broom! That’s what made the waves coming in from the top right…

And last not least, I liked the cloud below.

And in that picture there is so much to see: different surface roughnesses where a breeze creates ripples and where there is no wind, reflection changing depending on the surface roughness, and, favourite topic of mine, total internal reflection!

Oh, forgot there was another picture coming. Wake of a bird plus total internal reflection plus the awesome play of light on the ground. What more could anyone want? :-)