gravity wave
noun
1
: a wave in a fluid (such as the ocean or the atmosphere) which is propagated because of the tendency of gravity to maintain a uniform level or in which gravity is the restoring force
Examples of gravity wave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Specifically, it has been suggested that core convection, or turbulence from subsurface convection zones, could produce gravity waves that ripple outward to the surface.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2023
The next one – Feb. 7 – focuses on recent discoveries using gravity waves.
—Elissa Miolene, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
The concentric rings of lightning seen in the upper atmosphere during the Hunga eruption are thought to have been created by superfast energetic waves known as gravity waves.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 27 June 2023
Some of these gravity waves were caused by air flowing from the northwest over the Appalachians and Alleghenies, which caused downstream wavelets, like ripples downstream of stone in a river.
—Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023
If relics of primordial gravity waves exist, their interaction with the CMB will create very faint but detectable signatures that will confirm that the Big Bang and the subsequent inflation of the universe actually occurred.
—Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The Tonga eruption confirmed that tsunamis can be caused by atmospheric gravity waves.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
Astronomers use gravity waves in a similar manner: to probe the hidden depths of stars and understand their internal structure.
—Timmy Broderick, Scientific American, 31 July 2023
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2023
The next one – Feb. 7 – focuses on recent discoveries using gravity waves.
—Elissa Miolene, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
The concentric rings of lightning seen in the upper atmosphere during the Hunga eruption are thought to have been created by superfast energetic waves known as gravity waves.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 27 June 2023
Some of these gravity waves were caused by air flowing from the northwest over the Appalachians and Alleghenies, which caused downstream wavelets, like ripples downstream of stone in a river.
—Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023
If relics of primordial gravity waves exist, their interaction with the CMB will create very faint but detectable signatures that will confirm that the Big Bang and the subsequent inflation of the universe actually occurred.
—Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The Tonga eruption confirmed that tsunamis can be caused by atmospheric gravity waves.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
Astronomers use gravity waves in a similar manner: to probe the hidden depths of stars and understand their internal structure.
—Timmy Broderick, Scientific American, 31 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravity wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gravity wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravity%20wave. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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