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Questions and Answers
Which factor determines the speed of waves in water?
What happens to waves when they enter shallow water?
What causes the orbits of waves to become flattened in shallow water?
At what water depth do waves start to slow down due to interference with the ocean floor?
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What effect does friction have on waves in shallow water?
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What happens to the interference with the ocean floor as the water becomes shallower?
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Which type of waves are affected by the interference with the ocean floor?
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What is the relationship between water depth and wave speed?
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Which type of waves involve the medium vibrating back and forth, like sound waves?
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What term is used to describe the height of a wave divided by its wavelength?
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Which type of waves propagate through solids, liquids, and gases?
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What is the term for the time it takes for one wavelength to pass a fixed point?
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Which type of waves involve the medium moving in a circular motion?
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What is the term for waves that occur when the water depth is greater than the wave base?
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How can wave speed, or celerity, be calculated?
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Which unit of measurement is used to describe the length of the waves in the text?
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Which type of waves are considered shallow water waves?
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What type of waves are produced when the wind lightly blows across the water surface?
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What is the period of tides?
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What type of waves are produced when the wind continues to blow across the water surface?
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What factors determine the speed of a wave in shallow water?
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Which type of waves have a wavelength greater than 1 in the text?
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What are capillary waves?
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What factor determines whether waves will catch more energy in the text?
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What is the term for a wave that is transitioning from a deep water wave to a shallow water wave?
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Which factor is theorized to be the main cause of rogue waves?
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Where do rogue waves tend to occur more frequently?
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What is the term used to describe massive, spontaneous waves that can reach enormous heights and occur unpredictably?
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Why is accurate prediction and detection of rogue waves challenging?
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What is the term for the area close to the shoreline where rogue waves can occur?
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Study Notes
Properties and Types of Waves
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A wave is a traveling disturbance that carries energy and occurs periodically.
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Waves can be generated by a disturbing force, such as wind in the case of ocean waves.
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Ocean waves start off small in the middle of the ocean and can grow in size as they reach the coast.
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Waves can form at the interface between different states of matter, such as the ocean-air interface or the water-water interface.
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Waves can also form in the atmosphere, leading to the development of atmospheric waves and cloud formations.
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Internal waves can occur between density differences in a medium, such as the warm and cold water layers in the ocean.
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Waves transmit energy and the amount of energy carried by waves can vary depending on the driving force behind them, such as wind, tsunamis, or tides.
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Longitudinal waves involve the medium vibrating back and forth, like sound waves.
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Transverse waves involve the medium vibrating up and down, like waves on a string.
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Orbital waves, such as ocean waves, involve the medium moving in a circular motion.
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Different types of waves behave differently in different states of matter, with longitudinal waves propagating through solids, liquids, and gases, while transverse waves only propagate through solids.
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Understanding the properties and types of waves is important for various fields, such as geology, where earthquake waves help us understand the interior of the Earth.Key Facts about Water Waves
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The wave base is a term specific to water waves, and it is about half the wavelength of the wave.
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Water waves are caused by wind creating a disturbance on the surface, leading to circular motion of water particles.
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The circular motion of water particles decreases as it reaches the bottom, resulting in almost no motion below the wave base.
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Wave steepness is the height of the wave divided by the wavelength, and if it is greater than 1, the wave breaks.
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Wave period is the time for one wavelength to pass a fixed point, while wave frequency is the inverse of the period.
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Wave period is used for longer waves, while wave frequency is used for shorter waves like sound and light.
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The diameter of the circular motion decreases with water depth, and the depth where the motion stops is the wave base.
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Deep water waves occur when the water depth is greater than the wave base, while shallow water waves occur when it is less.
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Deep water waves have most of their mass below the wave base and are used by structures like oil rigs and submarines.
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Wave speed, or celerity, can be calculated using the wavelength and period, with longer wavelength waves generally traveling faster.
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If the water depth is less than one twentieth of the wavelength, it becomes a shallow water wave and slows down.
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Shallow water waves can experience interference when they reach the sea floor.
Rogue Waves: The Phenomenon and Impact
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Waves with pointed crests and rounded drops increase in height more rapidly than their wavelength
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Wind speed needs to be faster than wave speed to impart more energy to the wave
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Factors affecting wave energy include wind speed, duration, and distance over which the wind blows
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Most wave heights on the open ocean are less than 2 meters, but can get much larger
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Waves become over steepened and form white caps when wave height divided by wavelength is greater than 1/7
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The Beaufort wind scale describes the types of waves under different wind conditions
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The largest recorded wave was estimated to be 112 feet in height
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Waves move away from the sea area where they were formed and smooth out as they become swell
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Swell waves are uniform, symmetrical, and transport energy over long distances
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Wave dispersion causes longer wavelength waves to move faster and separate into groups with similar characteristics
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Interference patterns occur when waves pass each other, resulting in constructive or destructive interference
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Rogue waves are massive, spontaneous waves that can reach enormous heights and occur unpredictablyRogue Waves and their Causes
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Rogue waves are suspected to be the cause of many ship sinkings each year.
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Scientists lack detailed shipboard measurements of rogue waves due to their unpredictable nature and the limitations of ships as observational platforms.
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The main cause of rogue waves is theorized to be constructive wave interference, where multiple waves overlap in phase to produce an extremely large wave.
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Rogue waves tend to occur more frequently near weather fronts and downwind from islands or shoals.
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Modeling of wave conditions in the Pacific suggests that rogue waves can be created when low and high frequency components of ordinary ocean waves interact and channel their energy into a narrow frequency band.
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The formation of rogue waves is still being studied and is not entirely understood.
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Rogue waves appear without warning, making them dangerous and unpredictable.
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Rogue waves can be significantly larger than surrounding waves, posing a threat to ships and other maritime activities.
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Due to the lack of shipboard measurements, accurate prediction and detection of rogue waves is challenging.
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Rogue waves have been known to capsize ships, such as the Japanese fishing vessel in 2008.
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Rogue waves can occur in the surf zone, which is an area close to the shoreline.
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Further research is needed to better understand the formation and behavior of rogue waves.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the properties and types of waves, including water waves. Learn about wave formation, energy transmission, and the behavior of different wave types in various states of matter. Explore the specific characteristics of water waves and their unique features.
