Final answer:
As waves approach the shore, shoaling occurs where the energy of the wave is compressed into a smaller space, creating higher waves. Wave energy is closely related to its amplitude, and as water depth decreases.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a rapid movement of the ocean floor displaces a column of water and waves travel towards the shore, their energy compresses into a smaller space as they approach land, resulting in an increase in height and potential energy, an effect known as shoaling. This is because the amount of energy in a wave is related to its amplitude, which dictates how much ground displacement occurs. Large-amplitude waves, similar to large-amplitude earthquakes, can cause significant ground displacements. As waves reach shallower depths near the shore, the energy concentrates into higher waves due to the reduction in water depth and the shoaling effect.
It's important to remember that the particles of water tend to stay in their place, moving up and down rather than pushing water from one place to another; it is the energy of the wave that moves through the water. The energy experiences shoaling, leading to the building of higher, more powerful waves as they reach closer to the shore. This energy concentration can be critical in coastal engineering applications, where understanding wave interactions is necessary for designing breakwaters and assessing coastal erosion risks.