Natural Phenomena of Refraction:

Water waves: Sea wavefronts tend to take the shape of the shoreline as they
approach the shore. Explanation:

In the centre of the ocean, the wavefronts are straight and parallel to each other
because the water waves there travel at uniform speed as the depth of sea water there
is almost uniform.

When the wavefronts approach the shoreline, they reach the headland or cape earlier
than the bay because the cape represents the protruding part of the shoreline that
becomes shallow earlier than the bay.

Therefore, the water waves near the headland or cape slow down first - thus, their
wavelength becomes smaller or wavefronts become closer near the cape while those
approaching the bay are still having greater wavelength and their wavefronts are still
further apart

This phenomenon of refraction of water waves causes the wavefronts to take the
shape of the shoreline as the waves approach the shore.

Water wave refraction causes wavefronts to be parallel to the shape of the coastline as
they approach the shore.

Water wave refraction also causes water wave energy to converge at cape and causing
erosion - the waves at the cape are more rocky and turbulent.

Water wave energy diverges at bay and spreads out to a wider region, causing
deposition of sand, etc. The amplitude of waves at the bay is smaller than at the cape.
The waves at the bay are calmer. It is safer to swim in water near the bay than near the
cape.
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1. Refraction occurs when waves change direction as they enter one medium from another
medium. If a wave moves from one medium into another medium at right angle, there is no
refraction because there is no change in direction of the wave.
2. Refraction happens because a wave moves at different speed in different medium - faster in
less dense medium (deeper water) and slower in denser medium (shallow water).
3. The frequency of a wave in different medium does not change. It is the change in
wavelength that causes the wave speed to change.
4. Since wave speed v = f: when waves move from a less dense medium (or deeper water)
to denser medium (or shallower water), wavelength decreases resulting in decrease in wave
speed (frequency unchanged); and, conversely, when waves move from a denser medium (or
shallower water) to a less dense medium (or deeper water), wavelength increases causing the
wave speed to increase. .

[Decrease in wavelength means successive wavefronts get closer; and, conversely, increase
in wavelength (and thus wave speed) means the wavefronts get further apart]
5. When the angle of incident i of a wave as it enters another medium is zero (i.e. the
direction of travel of wave is parallel to the normal or at right angle to the interface between
the 2 media), no change in direction and there no refraction happens. However, the wave
speed and wavelength of the wave changes as its move from one medium into another
medium.
6. Refraction occurs IF the angle of incident i` of the waves as they enter another medium is
> zero. When i` > 0o:

waves direction bends towards normal if the waves move from a less dense medium
(or deeper water) to denser medium (or shallower water);

waves direction bends away from normal if the waves move from a denser medium
(or shallower water) to a less dense medium (or deeper water).

(SPM 2012 P1 Q35 @ pg 340 on characteristics of water waves undergoing refraction)