Solved: Tsunamis are ocean waves generally produced when earthquakes suddenly displace

Chapter 14, Problem 82

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Tsunamis are ocean waves generally produced when earthquakes suddenly displace the ocean floor, and with it a huge volume of water. Unlike ordinary waves on the ocean surface, a tsunami involves the entire water column, from surface to bottom. To a tsunami, the ocean is shallowand that makes tsunamis shallow-water waves, whose speed is v = 1gd, where d is the water depth and g the gravitational acceleration. Tsunamis can travel thousands of kilometers across an ocean to reach the shore with their initial energy nearly intact; when they do, they can cause massive damage and loss of life (Fig. 14.39). For a tsunami to behave as a shallow-water wave, its wavelength a. must be comparable to or longer than the ocean depth. b. must be shorter than the ocean depth. c. can have any value.