The Science of Big Waves

Pre-Video Questions

1.  Waves are formed by the action of wind blowing across the ocean. First the wind forms ripples, and then small wavelets and finally waves.
2. A surfer should know quite a number of things about waves before catching it. They should know whether it is a rolling wave or a dumping  wave, the power behind the wave and the direction the wave is breaking.


Questions for the Video.

Observe all the waves that you see and describe how they form and break. Use as many words found in the segment for you descriptions. Energy is transferring between the water instead of the actual water moving. When the large amount of water and energy hits the shallows, the water and energy can only go upwards creating a large wave.

Describe how waves are formed, how they originate, and how they are measured? The waves originate from wind further out on the ocean. Wind speed, Wind duration, and area the wind is covering all effect the size of the wave. The longer the wave length, the bigger the wave will be due to a longer wave length being increased and the frequency being decreased. 

What is a maverick wave and what is special about the way it is formed? Maverick is extremely large because of the ocean floor having a "bunch of rock" at the bottom which quickly focus the power and create the large wave. The wave has bent and rise because the rocks have slowed it down. The waves creates so much power that is actually shakes the North American plate

How is energy stored and transferred during wave? 

Energy is transferring between the water instead of the actual water moving. When the large amount of water and energy hits the shallows, the water and energy can only go upwards creating a large wave.

List any kind of advice given by the surfers about how to survive these “big waves.” To go in quickly and "catch some fire before the wrath of the gods come down on you". Be careful because it is like the wave in swallowing you and you will only worry about survival.