The Science of Big Waves

Pre-viewing Questions


1. Where do ocean waves come from? What gets them started?
They come from winds turning the water into ripples and then into small waves and eventually getting bigger. waves come from out in the ocean and they travel a lot to get to the beach

2. What do you think a surfer should know about waves before they try and ride a wave while surfing?
that the waves can get really big and they can travel really fast. they can get as high up to a 4 story building and as fast as 60 km/h


Questions From the Video


1. 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.

2. Describe how waves are formed, how they originate, and how they are measured?
waves are formed by the wind hitting the water making ripples, the starting point of a wave, and then they get bigger and bigger over kilometers of ocean to the beach. people measure the wave height and the wave length.

3. What is a maverick wave and what is special about the way it is formed?
a maverick is a big wave, like a really big wave and has a massive amount of energy in it and gets a lot of height as it hits the coast.

4. How is energy stored and transferred during wave?
the wave stores the energy in the actual wave and it is transferred into the wave height.

5. List any kind of advice given by the surfers about how to survive these “big waves.”
Respect the wave and its power as it is deadly, attempt with extreme caution and get in and get out.

7.2 definitions

ground swell - that has created a permanent, long-lasting shift in the way the world works.

plunging waves - A plunging wave occurs when the swell comes out of deep water and hits a shallow sandbar or reef

wave height - The difference between the crest and the trough

wavelength - The difference between two crests

fetch - To go and bring back

surf and swash zone - The area where the shore meets the first wave breaking

7.1 definitions

breakwaters - a barrier that breaks the force of waves, as before a harbor.

silting - A sedimentary material consisting of very fine particles intermediate in size between sand and clay

tidal flushing - the movement of water in and out of a water body due, in part, to tidal reason

sea change - when over development and rapid growth of coastal areas occur due to the current Australian trend for people to move from large cities to smaller coastal towns and villages where the lifestyle is more relaxed

urban stormwater - runoff and polluted runoff.

dredging - Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas

introduced plants - Many non-native plants have been introduced into new territories.

Q1. The pressure of urban development along the coastline has caused a range of geogrpahical issues involving various groups. Residents, tourists and commercial - related activities all need to be managed by geographers so that the development of the coastline is sustainable.

Q2. A sustainable development for the coastline is recommended so the population growth and pollution can be managed.

Q3. Over development and rapid growth of coastal areas occur due to the current Australian trend for people to move from large cities to smaller coastal towns and villages where the lifestyle is more relaxed, and this is known as 'sea change'.

Q4. One government response to sea change is the residential caps they have put in place so the sea areas do not get over populated.

Q5. The four areas I have chosen to analyse are the following; introduced plants, inappropriate development, coastal rivers + lagoons and pollution. Firstly, introduced plants. In 1908 South African a plant to create sand dunes in Australia. The problem was that this plant killed all surrounding native flora.

Secondly the inappropriate development, many people have the dream of owning a beach house, that is why there is such a demand for beach estates. As a result poorly planned, overpopulated beach apartments have been created.

Thirdly, Coastal river entrances. River entrances along the coast are prone to silting up as a result of both natural and human actions.

Lastly, Pollution. Pollution from urban developments along the coastline is altering coastal ecosystems.

Q6.The geographers are the developers of these management solutions for the issues plaguing our coastal environments.

Q7. My name is Lukas de Vries and I have just moved into the new beach front apartments on the coast. I have loved my time here and love the view, but that was what I wanted to talk about, the view. I have seen the people in town look at my apartment blocks with anger and frustration, I realized that they feel as if these apartments should not be here and unfortunately I feel the same way. I find two problems with these apartments, the risks of living so close to the beach with global warming and seas rising, also the surface these buildings are over. If they are so close to the beach, they cannot be stable. I would very much appreciate it if you would post my comments in your next addition of your morning paper. Kind regards, Lukas.

Page 109

1. Rural decline occurs when people from rural areas move into urban areas and leave the rural areas with less population
2. Gulargambone is a small town north of Dubbo, halfway between Gilgandra and Coonamble. It lies in the Coonamble Shire Council area. It has extremes of heat in the summer, up to 45 degrees, and extreme cold in winter, around -5 degrees.
3. - The atmosphere is very dry and humid.
- The hydrosphere is also very dry, getting little rain.
- The Lithosphere of the town is pretty good. Although the town is usually dry it lies next
to a river which is also usually dry but flows underground.
4. Blocks of land allocated to veterans.
5. Gulargambone Cypress timber mill, Sheep wool, beef cattle and the production of cereal crops and oilseeds
7. 477 people lived in the town. 1072 live in farms and property around it.
8. The Community Development Employment Program
B) i - north-west
ii - north
iii - west-north-west
9. a) i - 148 degrees 16 minutes East, 31 degrees 17 minutes South
ii - 148 degrees 16 minutes East, 31 degrees 23 minutes South
iii - 148 degrees 22.5 minutes East, 21 degrees 14.5 South
d) i -
ii -

Mapping Skills

1. 0.75 %
2. 60 million
3. Africa
4. male - 2.3 million
female - 2 million
5. male - 1.8 million
female - 1.7 million
6. because the death rate in Ethiopia would be a lot more earlier than in Italy thus meaning more young people in Ethiopia
7. dicks hill
8. camden haven
9. 10 meters
10. wet swamp
11. 1.1 km
12. GR830000
13. laurienton 79 meters. GR848987

Go Back to Where you Came From Reflection

1. My initial reaction to the show was shocked because i didn't know half of the stuff they said on the show. Also I was shocked because so many people fled their country to come to Australia or another country and the fact that there are so many people out there that aren't treated properly and treated like rats also shocked me.
2. 6003
3. we have to look after them using tax payers money. It takes a lot to keep them safe when rescue
18th
4. Most Australians believe that we should help anyone in need
we have the same
5. 11 countries
6. It is important because most refugees are in Malaysia waiting to flee to Australia. This means for the refugees that they could be deported back to their country