What causes waves in the ocean?

Question

What causes waves in the ocean?

Answer 1

Tidal motion created by the moon, atmospheric pressure and wind. The greatest storms occur when the wind blows against the tide and then suddenly changes direction and gets behind the tide. The resulting tide is much higher than normal and breaches coastal defences.

Answer 2

the moon's gravitational pull makes the waves and tides

Answer 3

wind (the result of hot and cold air interacting)

Answer 4

Wind causes most waves you see at the beach. Higher winds over the largest areas make the biggest waves. It is how the energy between ween and the ocean is dissapointed. The strength of the wind is important: this is why waves near a hurricane are much larger then waves on a calm day. Distance is also important; this is why some of the waves in the Pacific are so large even without a storm. To see this in action, take a bowl of water and blow on it. You'll see waves be generated by your breath.

Gravitational pull of the moon does nothing to create waves. The gravitational pull of the moon causes tides, not waves.

Tsunamis are caused by major undersea events. Generally they are caused by earthquakes, which shifts some portion of land under the sea. However they can also be caused by any form of underwater displacement, such as a large load of rocks falling into the sea, or an underground mudslide. To see this in action, drop a rock into a puddle or lake. You will see waves progress outword from that rock. If you can imagine dropping a really, really big rock into a lake, that is essentially how a tsunami forms.

Answer 5

The gravitational pull of the moon and wind also contributes to the waves also especially winds from the coastal areas

Answer 6

The gravitational pull of the moon is the reason there are tides and waves.

Answer 7

Surface winds and gravitational pulls are two major reasons.

Answer 8

Waves are mainly caused by air currents, aka wind. The friction caused by the motion of the wind has a drag effect on surface waters, which propagate into wave orbitals.