Ocean Surface Waves

What factor usually results in ocean surface waves?

Wind

Explain what happens when wind transfers its energy to the water.

The wind transfers some of its energy to the water through friction between air and water molecules.

Describe the motion of individual water particles in a wave.

There is little actual forward motion of individual water particles in a wave.

What does the wave height of a surface wave represent?

The difference between the elevations of a crest and a neighboring trough. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of wavelength in relation to waves.

Wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating wave of a given frequency. Signup and view all the answers

What is the phenomenon called when a wave collapses because its base can no longer support its top?

Breaking Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe the regular wave motions that form as seas propagate away from their area of origin?

Swells Signup and view all the answers

What causes the bending of waves due to varying water depths underneath?

Refraction Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe individual waves that occur in the ocean, sometimes reaching heights near 30 meters?

Rogue waves Signup and view all the answers

What type of waves are distinct from tides, tsunamis, and waves generated by underwater explosions or meteorites?

Ocean surface waves Signup and view all the answers

What is the process in which waves bounce from a surface back toward the source?

Reflection Signup and view all the answers

How does diffraction explain the phenomenon of hearing sound around a corner?

Diffraction allows sound waves to bend around obstacles, enabling us to hear sound around corners. Signup and view all the answers

How are waves a means by which energy travels?

Waves serve as a medium for energy to propagate. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when waves change direction as they pass from one medium to another?

Refraction occurs when waves change direction as they pass through different substances. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the characteristic of waves going through a small hole and creating a flared out geometric shadow.

Diffraction creates a flared out geometric shadow when waves pass through a small opening. Signup and view all the answers

Ocean Surface Waves

Questions and Answers