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Waves

Waves. What is a wave?. A wave is the movement of energy through a body of water. What causes a wave to form? . Most waves are created when wind blows across the water’s surface. Without the wind , the surface of the ocean floor would be smooth as a mirror. . Wave Size.

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Waves

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  1. Waves

  2. What is a wave? • A wave is the movement of energy through a body of water

  3. What causes a wave to form? • Most waves are created when wind blows across the water’s surface. • Without the wind, the surface of the ocean floor would be smooth as a mirror.

  4. Wave Size • Waves start in the open ocean. • The size of the wave depends on the strength of the wind and the length of time it blows. • Stronger winds create larger waves. • Winds blowing over longer distances build bigger waves.

  5. Think it over: • Why are waves in the Pacific Ocean bigger than waves in the Atlantic Ocean?

  6. Characteristics of a Wave • Wavelength: The horizontal distance between crests. • Wave Height- The vertical distance from the crest to the trough. • Crest: Top of the wave • Trough- The area between two wave crests.

  7. Characteristics of a Wave

  8. How do waves change near the shore? • As waves near shore, the water becomes more shallow. • The bottom of the wave begins to touch the ocean floor causing the wave to slow down. • Near the shore, wave height increases and the wavelength decreases.

  9. This process causes the bottom of the wave to move slower than the top creating waves called breakers.

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