Question 1

A wave first begins to break against the shore when the ratio of wave height to water depth is about 3:4.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Swell is the result of wave separation or dispersion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

The period of wind waves is usually expressed in:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

A storm surge is an abrupt bulge of wate...

Question 5

When a tsunami reaches shore,

Accepted Answer

A)   the wave height is increased by entry into shallow water.
B)   it always arrives at the time of a high tide.
C)   the wave will appear as a single huge breaking wave.
D)   it will always race hundreds of meters inland.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Ocean waves have very specific structure...

Question 7

In shallow water, the motion of water particles:

Accepted Answer

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 8

Wave reflection causes interference in the form of vertical oscillations that are called standing waves.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

In the open sea, tsunami:

Accepted Answer

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. C

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

Internal waves commonly form at the base of the pycnocline.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

A)   wave crest forms a steep peak.
B)   wavelength increases.
C)   wave height decreases.
D)   wave velocity increases. A

Question 13

In the open sea, tsunami reach an average wave height of about:

Accepted Answer

A)   1 meter.
B)   10 meters.
C)   100 meters.
D)   1,000 meters.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

A tsunami is a shallow-water wave that o...

Question 15

As wind waves move out of a storm area:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

The Ramapo wave is unique because:

Accepted Answer

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 was captured alive and brought to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1933 where it is presently on display. Tickets are hard to obtain.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 18

Rogue waves are best described as:

Accepted Answer

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 19

As the wind velocity increases during a storm:

Accepted Answer

A)   the wave height increases.
B)   the wave velocity decreases.
C)   the wind tends to flatten the ocean surface.
D)   mass transport decreases in the open ocean.

Question 20

The best place to study the effects of a seiche is:

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 9: Waves

A wave first begins to break against the shore when the ratio of wave height to water depth is about 3:4.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Swell is the result of wave separation or dispersion.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The period of wind waves is usually expressed in:

Correct AnswerverifiedC

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

Correct AnswerverifiedA storm surge is an abrupt bulge of wate...View AnswerShow Answer

When a tsunami reaches shore,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedOcean waves have very specific structure...View AnswerShow Answer

In shallow water, the motion of water particles:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Wave reflection causes interference in the form of vertical oscillations that are called standing waves.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the open sea, tsunami:

Correct AnswerverifiedC

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Internal waves commonly form at the base of the pycnocline.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedA

In the open sea, tsunami reach an average wave height of about:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedA tsunami is a shallow-water wave that o...View AnswerShow Answer

As wind waves move out of a storm area:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Ramapo wave is unique because:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Rogue waves are best described as:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

As the wind velocity increases during a storm:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The best place to study the effects of a seiche is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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C

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A storm surge is an abrupt bulge of wate...
View Answer

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Ocean waves have very specific structure...
View Answer

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C

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A

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A tsunami is a shallow-water wave that o...
View Answer

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