Question

Part B

Which statements best explain the causes of the differences selected in Part A?
Select all that apply.
A. In deep water, there is a larger volume of water, resulting in waves with larger heights.
B. In shallow water, the rising seafloor drags on the bottom of the wave, resulting in a decreasing wavelength.
C. In deep water, there is more space for the energy of the wave to spread out under the water.
D. In shallow water, there is a smaller volume of water, resulting in waves with longer wavelengths.
E. In shallow water, there is less space for the energy of the wave under the water, so the height of the wave increases.
F. In deep water, the energy of the wave that forms decreases dramatically as the wave approaches the shoreline.

Answer 1

Wave behavior changes as they travel from deep to shallow water due to interaction with the seabed: in shallow water, waves slow down and their wavelengths decrease, leading to increased wave height; whereas in deep water, there is more space for wave energy to spread out, resulting in waves with less height.

Step-by-step explanation:

When examining the behavior of waves as they travel from deep to shallow water, several phenomena occur due to the interaction with the varying depth:

• B. In shallow water, the rising seafloor drags on the bottom of the wave, causing the wave to slow down and as a result, the wavelength decreases.
• E. In shallow water, with less space for the wave energy to spread out underwater, the energy is concentrated, and the height of the wave increases, a phenomenon known as shoaling.
• C. In deep water, there is more space for the energy of the wave to spread out, leading to waves with less height compared to when they are in shallow water.

The concept of wave refraction is also at play, as waves enter shallow water, they bend and the speed changes. The interaction of the water waves with the seafloor causes the energy to be compressed into a smaller volume as depth decreases, thereby increasing the wave height.