Compare shallow-water and deep-water waves

What will be an ideal response?


Water particles in a wave travel in a circular (orbital) motion. A deep-water wave is a wave in which the water depth is greater than one-half of the wavelength. At this depth, the water is deep enough so that water travels in a circular motion without interacting with the ocean bottom. Deep-water waves travel faster than shallow-water waves because the orbital motion of deep-water waves is not affected by the seafloor. In comparison, shallow-water waves occur when the water depth is less than 1/20 of the wavelength. In shallow water, the lower wave orbitals interact with the shallow seafloor and are slowed as they their orbital paths are flattened. Thus, shallow-water waves move slower than their deep-water counterparts of the same wavelength.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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A) certain, and the science is certain. B) complex, but the science is certain. C) complex, and the science is insightful but tentative and evolving. D) clear and certain, and the science is insightful but tentative.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Research by social scientists suggests that it takes ____ percent of the population of a community, country, or the world to bring about major social change.

A. 1?2 B. 5?10 C. 20?30 D. 40?50 E. 70?75

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

In the last few thousand years, sea-level changes have resulted from all but ________

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Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences