Final answer:
In the open ocean, 1 in 20 waves will be four times as high as the average wave height. The wave height is the distance from the trough to the crest, and it is twice the amplitude of the wave. When two identical waves overlap perfectly, the height of the resultant wave is twice the amplitude of each original wave.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is related to the distribution of wave heights in the open ocean. The rule of thumb in oceanography is that, statistics for average wave heights indicate that 1 in 20 waves will be approximately twice as high as the average wave height, and 1 in 20 waves will be four times as high as the average wave height.
For clarity, the amplitude of a wave is the distance from the rest position to the crest, and the height of the wave is the distance from the trough to the crest. Based on this, if you are in the trough of a wave and the wave amplitude is 1 meter, the wave height from your position would be twice the amplitude, which is 2 meters (c). Additionally, when two identical waves superimpose in pure constructive interference, the height of the resultant wave is twice the amplitude of each separate wave, which would be 2 meters (b).