ocean surface waves are surface waves that occur in the upper layer of the ocean. they usually result from wind. some are made by geologic effects like earthquakes or vulcanicity and may travel thousands of miles before striking land. they range in size from small ripples to huge tsunamis. there is little actual forward motion of individual water particles in an unbroken wave, despite the large amount of energy and momentum it may carry forward. when a wave hits shallow water, it "breaks" because the bottom moves more slowly than the top.