Are Gravity Waves Rare? Understanding the Elusive Phenomenon

AI Thread Summary
Gravity waves are produced whenever an object changes shape and are considered common, but they are weak and challenging to detect. There is confusion between gravity waves and gravitational waves, with the former relating to surface disturbances like water waves, while the latter involves cosmic phenomena such as binary neutron stars. Gravity waves do not significantly impact meteorology, despite some misconceptions about their atmospheric relevance. The term "gravity waves" refers to the way gravity acts to restore equilibrium in disturbed surfaces. Overall, understanding the distinction between these types of waves is crucial for clarity in discussions about their nature and effects.
Awsom Guy
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Are gravity waves rare?
I don't I've ever seen them so any help will be good, thanks.
 
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Hi Awsom Guy! :smile:

If gravity waves exist, they're extremely common (they're produced whenever anything changes shape), but they're also extremely weak, and extremely difficult to detect. :wink:
Awsom Guy said:
Does gravity waves have anything to do with meteorology? Because gravity waves has something to do with the atmosphere and so does meteorology.

No, gravity waves have nothing to do with the atmosphere, they come from extremely distant sources

(and they don't affect the atmosphere … any bad weather you're experiencing is entirely the fault of the government :wink:)
 
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I quote from wikipedia "In the Earth's atmosphere, gravity waves are important for transferring momentum from the troposphere to the stratosphere". Are you sure they have nothing to do with atmosphere. Thanks for any help.
 
Awsom Guy said:
I quote from wikipedia "In the Earth's atmosphere, gravity waves are important for transferring momentum from the troposphere to the stratosphere". Are you sure they have nothing to do with atmosphere. Thanks for any help.

oh, i thought you mean gravitational waves …

i've never heard of those "gravity waves" before …

whyever are they called that? :confused:
 
Thats ok, is you above statement wrong "If gravity waves exist, they're extremely common (they're produced whenever anything changes shape), but they're also extremely weak, and extremely difficult to detect". Yes a lot of people get themselves confused with gravitational and gravity waves, and I think so does google. :O
 
They are called that because they are just like ripples in water. but gravity in gravity waves confuses everyone as it does not have much to do with gravity waves :D
 
Thanks for trying.
 
Awsom Guy said:
Are gravity waves rare?
I don't I've ever seen them so any help will be good, thanks.

The waves you see on the surface of anybody of water are "gravity waves". They are called that because gravity wants to make the surface flat, so a disturbance propagates as the falling peak just builds up water somewhere else.

Don't confuse "gravity wave" with "gravitational wave". The latter is what makes binary neutron stars spiral together.

Another thing people get confused about is "holograph" with "hologram". A museum might have a 200 year old holograph on display, but it has nothing to do with lasers <g>.
 
oh wow, thanks for the information on holographs. I thought they were the same thing. damn. Thanks heaps.
 
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