Waves form mostly when wind blows over the surface of the water, pushing it along!
Imagine blowing gently on a bowl of water – you see little ripples, right? That's kind of how big waves start in the ocean or a lake!
Wind Makes Waves
Here's a simple way to think about how wind creates waves:
- Wind blows: Air moving across the water's surface creates friction.
- Pushes the water: This friction makes the water move a little bit, creating small bumps or ripples.
- Waves grow: If the wind keeps blowing, especially over a long distance, these little bumps get pushed more and more, growing into bigger waves.
So, the stronger the wind and the longer it blows over the water, the bigger the waves can get!
The Moon Makes Waves Too!
Did you know something else big can also make waves? As hinted in the video clip, something big and round that you can see at night can make waves. That's the Moon!
The Moon is like a giant magnet for water. It pulls on the water on Earth, causing the whole ocean to bulge a little bit on the side facing the Moon and also on the opposite side. These bulges of water are what we call tides, which are really just very, very long waves!
So, waves you see crashing on the beach are usually made by wind, but the big rise and fall of the water level throughout the day (the tide) is caused by the Moon (and the Sun, too, but the Moon has a bigger effect!).
In short: Wind pushing on the water is the main way most waves form, while the Moon's pull creates the giant tide waves!
