GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Waves are most commonly caused by wind. Wind-driven waves, or surface waves, are created by the friction between wind and surface water. As wind blows across the surface of the ocean or a lake, the continual disturbance creates a wave crest.

Detailed explanation-2: -Not all waves are caused by the wind though. Seismic activity can cause a series of long-wavelength waves known as a tsunami, due to the displacement of large amounts of water. The gravitational pull of the sun and moon also cause waves to form – these are known as tides.

Detailed explanation-3: -Waves form as a result of the water’s motion, gravitational forces, and winds. The most common waves we see are created by wind. However other waves include those created by gravitational forces (e.g. tidal waves) and those created by underwater disturbances, such as earthquakes (e.g. tsunamis).

Detailed explanation-4: -Wind waves are mechanical waves that propagate along the interface between water and air; the restoring force is provided by gravity, and so they are often referred to as surface gravity waves.

Detailed explanation-5: -The largest wind waves are built when a strong wind blows for a long time over a large area. It is not the water that travels in a wave; it is the energy that is transferred from where the wave formed. A wave breaks when it is too tall to be supported by its base. This is common as a wave moves up the shore.