Ellipses - Wave conformity on a fluid surface

My theme throughout 142 Creative coding has been quite linear. In project one, I created wallpaper fashioned purely out of ellipses (arcs). In project two, I modified 3D water scripts to make it 2D, added audio which gave it a more lively feel when interacted with. For my final project I wanted to expose what I discovered during these assignments - also focused on ellipses. How do objects interact with a fluid surface? When spheres and cirlces collide with a surface, it makes sense that they make sphere shaped waves. What about geometric shapes? As it turns out, initially at the time of impact the wave starts out with a direct linear relationship to the shape which displaced/shaped it. Once the waves distance from origin passes a certain point however, the wave begins to curve away from the normal - essentially becoming elliptical. I believe what is happening is where two waves intersect, either perpindicularly or more acute, the waves energy dissipates or is disrupted with either cancelling effects or by shear integrity losses, creating a drag effect. There is very little explanation covered in full descriptions of Snell's law of fluid mechanics, but I am sure if I knew the scientific name of a phenomina I would be able to share more freely about it. To describe what I have been dazzled by, I created a linoleum etching with a charcoal paint relief, using 1970's vintage linoleum and charcoal power with water. One side of the relief is geometric and the other side is elliptical - this is to express the phenomina of geometric sourced waves, conforming to ellipses on a fluid surface.