Wave+energy

A wave is a periodic disturbance in a solid,liquid,or gas as energy is transmitted through the medium.A wave has two basic parts a crest and a through.The crest is the highest point of a wave.The through is the lowest point between two crests.The uneven heating of the atmosphere causes winds which the wind carries energy and forms small waves.A wave first starts as a ripple which is basically a small wave when the ripple recieves more energy from the wind it causes a larger wave.The longer the wind blows from that direction the bigger the wave gets. wave speed= wavelength/wave period. When larger waves grow larger the smaller waves endup dying out.Fetch is the distance that the wind can blow across the open water.The three factors that determine the size of a wave are the speed of the wind,the length of time the wind blows, and the fetch which i explained what it is. When winds blow the crest of a wave off, some thing called "whitecaps" forms.Since whitecaps reflect solar radiation it allows less radiation to reach the ocean.Scientists are trying to see if this can affect climate.As a wave moves across the surface of the ocean, the energy of the wave ONLY, moves in the direction of the wave.