of the following is true about how waves form and break upon the shore? course hero

by Enrique Grady 8 min read

What happens as a wave approaches the shore?

Because the water shallows more rapidly, wave energy is rapidly concentrated into a small area, so the waves grow very tall and the crests curl far forward of the troughs. On a steep slope, the waves don’t interact with the bottom until they are almost right at the shore, so they don’t have time to build-up, and instead just surge far up the beach without breaking.

How do you classify ocean waves Quizlet?

wave steepness reaches a ratio of 1:7. Destructive wave interference results in. reduced wave height. As a wave approaches shore, its characteristics change by. decreasing speed, increasing steepness. Waves usually arrive nearly parallel to the shore because. waves are …

What physical changes occur to waves as they move into shallow water?

When forces inside Earth cause rock to move or beak apart. a. all the waves produced remain at the source of the earthquakes. b. earthquake waves are produced and carry kinetic energy through the ground. c. earthquake waves are produced and carry rocky material through the …

When do waves touch the bottom of the ocean?

- Wave refraction causes sand to be deposited in bays, where wave energy is lower - Refraction occurs when the part of the wave in shallow water slows down and the part of the wave in deeper water moves at its original speed - Wave refraction explains why all waves come almost straight in toward a beach, no matter what their original angle was

How waves form and break upon the shore?

When a wave reaches a shallow coastline, the wave begins to slow down due to the friction caused by the approaching shallow bottom. The wave begins to slow down from the bottom first causing the back of the wave to stand up upon itself. Think of it like driving a car at high speed and then slamming on the breaks.

What is the process by which waves move up the shore and move sediment up the shore?

Wave Deposition. The transport of sediments by longshore currents is called longshore drift. Longshore drift is created in this way: Sediment is moved up the beach by an incoming wave. The wave approaches at an angle to the shore.Jul 3, 2019

What happens to waves when they hit the shore?

Waves at the Shoreline: As a wave approaches the shore it slows down from drag on the bottom when water depth is less than half the wavelength (L/2). The waves get closer together and taller. Orbital motions of water molecules becomes increasingly elliptical, especially on the bottom.

Why does a wave break when it approaches the shore group of answer choices?

Eventually the wave height exceeds 1/7 of the wavelength, and the wave becomes unstable and forms a breaker . Often breakers will start to curl forwards as they break. This is because the bottom of the wave begins to slow down before the top of the wave, as it is the first part to encounter the seafloor.

Why do waves move towards the shore?

When the middle and right side hit shallow water, they too will slow down because of friction. Thus, the whole wave gradually turns to the left - until it becomes parallel to the shore. On approaching the shore, waves break because of the same friction effect.Mar 19, 2020

How do ocean waves form and how do they change to cause water to erode land along a shoreline?

Waves form when wind blows over the surface of the ocean. Strong winds produce large waves. The waves move toward land. When waves crash into the land over a long time, they can break rock down into smaller pieces.

How do waves form break?

0:372:51How do waves break? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo the waves come in they slow down gently. They steep in gently. And when they break they brakeMoreSo the waves come in they slow down gently. They steep in gently. And when they break they brake gently and the top of the waves just spill down the front of the wave.

Why do ocean waves break at or near the shore?

The friction along the bottom slows the base of the wave down while the water at the surface continues forward. When the wave steepness (the ratio between wave height and wavelength) exceeds a ratio of 1:7, it becomes unstable and breaks.

Why do waves break on the shore quizlet?

As deep water waves become shallow water waves, they interact with the ocean floor. Water particles along the bottom slow down decreasing the space between crests. The water builds increasing wave height. The top of the wave is moving faster than the bottom and gravity causes the wave to crash to the shore.

Why do waves always seem to approach the shore head on quizlet?

The slowing at the shoreward side refracts the wave so it's more parallel to the shore. This makes it so the waves appear to approach the shore head-on, arriving at the same time on all parts of the shore.

What happens to waves as they approach shore quizlet?

What happens as waves approach shore? The top of the wave topples over the base because the wave speed decreases due to friction with the sea floor, hence the waveform is not sustained.

Why is a point break in a bay good for surfing?

In the bay, the refraction has caused the wave fronts to refract away from each other, dispersing the wave energy, and leading to calmer water and smaller waves. This makes the large waves of a “point break” ideal for surfing, while water is calmer in a bay, which is where people would launch a boat.

What is a spilling breaker?

Spilling breakers form on gently sloping or flatter beaches, where the energy of the wave is dissipated gradually. The wave slowly increases in height, then slowly collapses on itself (Figure 10.3.2). For surfers, these waves provide a longer ride, but they are less exciting. Figure 10.3.2 A spilling breaker.

What causes a wave to slow down?

When the wave touches the bottom, friction causes the wave to slow down. As one wave slows down, the one behind it catches up to it, thus decreasing the wavelength. However, the wave still contains the same amount of energy, so while the wavelength decreases, the. increases.

What happens when a wave touches the bottom?

At this point their behavior will begin to be influenced by the bottom. When the wave touches the bottom, friction causes the wave to slow down.

Why do waves curl forward when they break?

This is because the bottom of the wave begins to slow down before the top of the wave, as it is the first part to encounter the seafloor.

What is the highest point on a wave?

the highest point on a wave (10. 1) regular, long-period waves that have sorted themselves based on speed (10.2) the movement of sediment along a shoreline resulting from a longshore current and also from the swash and backwash on a beach face.

What happens when waves approach the shore?

When waves approach the shore they will “touch bottom” at a depth equal to half of their wavelength; in other words, when the water depth equals the depth of the (Figure 10.3.1). At this point their behavior will begin to be influenced by the bottom.