Angle of incidence

Definition of Angle of incidence (α): The angle between the wave propagation direction and the normal to the coastline or the angle between the wave front and the coastline. The deep water angle of incidence is often denoted [math]\alpha[/math] or [math]\theta[/math]; the wave incidence angle at the depth contour where waves start breaking is generally indicated by the subscript [math]b[/math]. This is the common definition for Angle of incidence (α), other definitions can be discussed in the article