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The consensus of oceanographers is that ocean waves are predominately caused by wind and supplemented by a few other sources. The following are said to be the causative forces behind ocean waves:

• wind
• gravitational pull of the sun and moon
• wave shoaling (by entering shallower waters)
• wave refractions (from bathymetry and currents)
• variations in wind and atmospheric pressure (seiches)
• displacement waves (from boat wakes, landslides, etc.)
• interactions with sea ice and icebergs (dampening effect)
• gravity (dampening effect)
• viscosity (dampening effect)

This paper intends to examine the efficacy of these forces in generating the gamut of ocean waves.