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Ocean Waves Video Lesson
Directions: Go to the website, http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson09.html for a video
lesson on waves. Answer the following questions as you watch the video.
Part I – Video Lesson
1. How do water particles typically move in a wave?
2. Explain the movements of debris on the surface of the ocean as waves pass by.
3. What is the highest point of a wave known as? What is the lowest point known as?
What is the vertical distance between the two known as?
4. What is a wavelength?
5. Most waves are generated by what force?
6. What determines the size and speed of waves?
7. What regions on earth have minimal waves?
8. What specific area on earth contains the largest waves? What is the average wave
height in this area?
9. What is a wave train?
10. What is a rouge wave? What can rouge waves cause?
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11. At what depth does a wave become a shallow-water wave?
12. What causes the speed, direction, and shape of waves to change as they enter
shallow water?
13. What happens to wave height as it enters shallow water?
14. What causes a wave to “topple over” and break into the shore?
15. What is swash?
16. How can waves affect shorelines?
17. How fast are tsunami waves? What are the average wavelengths of tsunami waves?
18. How high can tsunami waves reach as they approach the coastline?
19. What happens to water at the coastline as a tsunami approaches?
20. How long can the interval between two tsunami waves be at their greatest
wavelengths?
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Part II – Global Impact
1. How much energy could potentially be generated from wave power according to
scientists?
2. What effect do waves have on coastlines?
3. How many people have died from tsunami waves in recorded history?
4. How many people died from a single tsunami in 2004 near Indonesia?
5. What steps are being taken to help reduce the dangers of tsunami?
Part III – Breaking Waves
Directions: Click on the “Breaking Waves” Tab on the right side of the page. Navigate this
section to answer the questions below.
1. Describe how waves break on gently sloped beaches.
2. Describe how waves break on moderately sloped beaches.
3. Describe how waves break on steep sloped beaches.
4. Define Wave Period.
5. What is the Wave Period in the example on this page?