Big Waves - Mavericks

Big Waves - Mavericks

While you watch the following video, think about the following questions.

• Where are the Mavericks located

• How do storms help generate waves

• Where do the Mavericks begin

• What are some factors that affect the size of waves and why are they so big

• How big can waves get at the Mavericks

• How do waves move

• What happens to waves as they reach the shore

Fill in the Blanks

The Mavericks are located on the California

, North of Half Moon Bay.

Fill in the Blanks

Storms help create ocean waves by generating winds that transfer

from the air to the surface of the ocean in the form of surface-wind waves.

Fill in the Blanks

The Mavericks begin thousands of miles away in the "

" of the Northern Pacific Ocean, near Alaska.

Open Ended

What are the three factors that affect the size of the waves?

Fill in the Blanks

The biggest ocean waves at Mavericks can be as high as

feet!

Multiple Choice

The water in a wave is moving in a circular motion back to where it started, not really in the direction that the wave is moving overall.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blanks

When an ocean wave gets closer to the shore, the seafloor acts like a speed bump, and the wave

. The wavelength decreases and energy transfers to wave height (amplitude).

Multiple Select

Why does Mavericks have such big waves, when nearby coves do not? (mark all that apply)

• The shape of the ocean floor at Mavericks is special.

• It has a lot of rocks that pop up from the bottom.

• The shape of the reef bends the waves into a larger area.

• The shape of the reef bends the waves into a smaller area, with more concentrated energy

Fill in the Blanks

It is dangerous to surf on big waves because the

in a big wave is so strong, it could easily harm a human.