Waves and Tides Flashcards
Tides are caused by:
The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun
Neap tides are when the tidal range is:
At its lowest.
Neap tides occur at what stage in the lunar cycle?
At quarter moons
Spring tides occur at what stages in the lunar cycle?
At the new moon and the full moon
What celestial body has the greatest effect on tides?
The moon
The Fundamental Equilibrium Tide model is:
A theoretical model in which all landmass isremoved from the earth and friction betweenthe seafloor and the water is removed.
Spring tides are when the tidal range is:
At its highest.
Waves that move freely on the oceansurface are called:
Progressive waves
Forces that return the ocean surfaceto its normal configuration are called:
Restoring forces
The path of a water molecule in a progressivewave is best described as:
A circular orbit in the direction of the wavewith only a slight net forward movement.
Waves that are static at intervals and oscillatevertically in between those points are called:
Standing waves
Standing waves are caused when avertical barrier is located at ______.
The crest or trough
Wave height is determined by 3 factors. These are:
Wind speed, wind duration, and fetch
Fetch is defined as:
The distance over water that wind blowsin a single direction.
A point of almost zero tidal fluctuationon the ocean surface is called:
anAmphidromic point
In the wave equation, C equals L divided by T.What are the variables C, L, and T?
C, L, and T are wave speed, wavelength, andwave period respectively.
What kinds of waves transmit energy through all states of matter?
Longitudinal waves
The two basic types of wave motion formechanical waves are:
Longitudinal and Tranverse
In a _________ wave the particle displacementis parallel to the direction of wave propagation.The particles do not move with the wave; they simplyoscillate back and forth about their individualequilibrium positions.
Longitudinal(Pick a single particle and watch its motion)
In a ______ wave the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.The particles do not move along with the wave; they simply oscillate up and down about their individual equilibrium positions as the wave passes by.
Tranverse
What is eustasy?
The rise and fall of sea level over time.
In an area with mixed semidiurnal tides, how manyhigh tides occur during most days?
2
When two large waves moving in oppositedirections meet they form a:
rogue wave
The process of creating a rogue wave is an example of:
Constructive interference
What is the generating force and the restoring force of seaswell?
The generating force is wind and therestoring force is gravity.
What is the name for a narrow seaward flow of watercaused by waves breaking in the surf zone andpiling up against the coast?
Rip tide
No matter which direction the wind is blowing, wavesalways approach a sloping beach about what angleto the shore?
90 degrees
What happens to the wavelength as an ocean wavemoves from deeper to more shallow water?
The wavelength decreases
What is the name for tides that occur just after newmoon and full moon, when the gravitation attractionof the sun and moon act in a direct line?
Spring tide
What are thethree main types of ocean waves?
Ripples, seas and swells
What is the term for the tidal current that occurswhen the height of the tide is decreasing?
Ebb tide
An ocean wave will break when the ratio of its height to its length is greater than what?
1 to 7
What kind of tides dominate the east coast of the US?
Semidiurnal
What kind of tides dominate the west coast of the US?
Mixed
What kind of tides dominate the North Pacific?
Diurnal
Where are the highest average waves recorded?
Southern ocean, bellow the Indian Ocean
