As under oblique wave approach water waves are reflected by a vertical wall, a wave branching effect (stem) develops normal to the reflecting wall. The waves progressing along the wall will steep up. The wave heights increase up to more than twice the incident wave height. The £jtudy has pointed out that this effect, which is usually called MACH-REFLECTION, is not to be taken as an analogy to gas dynamics, but should be interpreted as a diffraction problem.