Deck 9: Waves

Question 1

Which statement is true concerning capillary waves?

A)Capillary waves can be important because they mix nutrients into surface waters.
B)Capillary waves are the source of internal waves.
C)Capillary waves form as friction stretches the water surface.
D)Capillary waves have the longest wavelength of any wave type.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Water particles in a deep-water wave ____.

A)move rapidly toward the shore
B)move in circular orbits
C)do not move; only the wave form moves
D)move in flat elliptical circles

Answer 2

B

Question 3

As wind waves move out of a storm area, the ____.

A)short waves move out first and form "chop"
B)short-period waves overtake the long-period waves
C)waves are sorted by wavelength and speed, and form the swell
D)sea becomes flat outside the storm area

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In shallow water, the motion of water particles ____.

A)ceases completely
B)forms large circular orbits
C)becomes a back-and-forth motion near the bottom
D)becomes an up-and-down motion near the bottom

Question 5

The Ramapo wave is unique because ____.

A)many lives were lost when it struck the shore
B)it is the largest wave ever observed by people
C)it is the largest wave accurately measured by direct observation
D)it caused the cargo ship, München, to sink

Question 6

What wave form typically carries the greatest amount of energy through the ocean surface at any given time?

A)wind waves
B)seismic waves
C)seiches
D)capillary waves

Question 7

The first waves to form on the ocean surface when the wind starts to blow are ____.

A)gravity waves
B)internal waves
C)swell
D)capillary waves

Question 8

A disturbing force for tides is ____.

A)faulting of the seafloor
B)wind
C)gravitational attraction
D)storm surge

Question 9

When waves approach the shore, a series of changes takes place. One change is that the ____.

A)wave crest becomes peaked
B)wavelength increases
C)wave height decreases
D)wave velocity increases

Question 10

Most characteristics of ocean waves depend on the relationship between their ____.

A)water depth and trough
B)wave height and wavelength
C)water depth and wave height
D)wavelength and water depth

Question 11

As the wind velocity increases during a storm, ____.

A)the wave height increases
B)the wave velocity decreases
C)the wind tends to flatten the ocean surface
D)wavelength decreases

Question 12

The distance measured from trough to trough of a wave is called the ____.

A)wavelength
B)wave height
C)wave period
D)orbit

Question 13

When multiple wave trains meet in the ocean, destructive interference can occur, resulting in ____.

A)waves with short crests and troughs
B)waves with very large crests and troughs
C)waves that cause high amounts of property damage
D)a storm surge

Question 14

Waves with the greatest celerity, or speed, _____.

A)have the longest wavelengths
B)occur in shallow water only
C)form when the wind is blowing less than 0.5 nautical miles per hour
D)have the shortest wavelengths

Question 15

The period of wind waves is usually expressed in ____.

A)feet or meters
B)miles per hour, or kilometers per hour
C)seconds
D)feet or meters per hour

Question 16

Constructive interference in waves can cause ____.

A)an occasional wave greater than any noted before or after its occurrence
B)every other wave to be larger or smaller than those preceding or following
C)waves to get smaller within 24 hours
D)waves to double in height every 24 hours

Question 17

Rogue waves are best described as ____.

A)the highest waves of a tsunami
B)a breaking internal wave
C)a strong rocking motion within a harbor
D)a single massive wave that develops in the open ocean

Question 18

A ____ is a gravity wave formed by the transfer of wind energy into the water.

A)swell
B)tide
C)wind wave
D)tsunami

Question 19

The uninterrupted distance over which the wind blows without change in direction is the ____.

A)fetch
B)wavelength
C)wind length
D)wind cell

Question 20

Which list is arranged in order from shortest wavelength to longest wavelength?

A)capillary waves, tsunami, wind waves, tides
B)capillary waves, wind waves, tsunami, tides
C)wind waves, tsunami, capillary waves, tides
D)tides, capillary waves, tsunami, wind waves

Question 21

Swell is the result of wave separation or dispersion.

Question 22

A wave first begins to break against the shore when the ratio of wave height to water depth is about 1:2.

Question 23

The best place to study the effects of a seiche is ____.

A)on a shallow beach at the edge of the Pacific
B)in a confined area, such as a harbor or lake
C)near tropical islands in the Pacific or Atlantic
D)in the open sea

Question 24

Celerity is a measure of wavelength and the units are meters.

Question 25

Tsunami or seismic sea waves are often generated by ____.

A)storms at sea
B)tidal currents in the open sea
C)breaking internal waves
D)coastal or submarine earthquakes

Question 26

A tsunami is a shallow water wave that moves at high speeds.

Question 27

Waves tend to be parallel to the shore when they break due to the process of ____.

A)diffraction
B)reflection
C)refraction
D)reaction

Question 28

The abrupt bulge of water driven ashore by a tropical cyclone is called a ____.

A)seiche
B)tsunami
C)storm surge
D)rogue wave

Question 29

For a wave, the longer the wavelength, the faster the wave energy will move through the water.

Question 30

The wavelength of a wave is a measure of the highest part of the wave above the average water level.

Question 31

Waves at the shore will start to break when the ____.

A)water depth is about twice the wavelength
B)crest flattens into a rounded form
C)wave period increases to 15 seconds
D)wave height-to-water depth ratio is 3:4

Question 32

Near shore, waves with a wavelength of 200 feet will "feel" bottom when the depth is about ____.

A)20 feet
B)50 feet
C)100 feet
D)200 feet

Question 33

Standing waves oscillate vertically, but do not move forward.

Question 34

A seiche is a short wave found in areas of the ocean farthest away from the continents.

Question 35

Internal waves commonly form at the base of the pycnocline.

Question 36

In the open sea, tsunami ____.

A)are giant breaking waves that are dangerous to ships
B)are slow-moving waves, slower than the swell
C)are long-period waves, often of 5-20 minutes
D)have short wavelengths of 100-200 feet, similar to wind waves

Question 37

Which statement is true with regard to internal waves?

A)Internal waves usually move very fast.
B)Internal waves form at the boundary between water layers of different densities.
C)Internal waves are only generated by wind energy.
D)Internal waves form at the junction between air and water.

Question 38

When a tsunami reaches shore, ____.

A)the wave height greatly increases
B)the wave period greatly decreases
C)the wave will appear as a single huge breaking wave
D)it will always race hundreds of meters inland

Question 39

In the open sea, tsunami waves ____.

A)have a much shorter wave height than they do when they reach the shore
B)have a much larger wave height than they do when they reach the shore
C)have a very short wave period
D)frequently destroy ships that pass over them

Question 40

The energy that causes ocean waves to form is called a disturbing force.

Question 41

What is the relationship between the wave crest, trough, height and wavelength?

Question 42

What is fetch and how does it influence wind wave development?

Question 43

What is a storm surge and how does it differ from a breaking wind wave?

Question 44

Describe how a tsunami is formed and how it can travel great distances at great speeds.

Question 45

Describe how a wave breaks on the shore as it transitions from a deep-water wave to a shallow-water wave.