Final answer:
A surging wave can knock people over, carry them into deeper water, and cause significant coastal damage, especially if it is a tsunami resulting from underwater seismic activity. As waves reach shallower coastal waters, they grow in height through shoaling, and a tsunami wave can travel long distances with wave crests spaced far apart, sometimes as much as 150 km.
Step-by-step explanation:
A surging wave can have powerful effects, particularly in coastal regions. When such a wave strikes, it can often have enough force to knock swimmers over and sometimes carry them out to deep water. Waves that break powerfully on shore and can be hazardous are sometimes referred to as 'dumpers'. Beyond these immediate impacts, particularly large surges such as tsunamis, which are generated by massive displacements of water due to underwater earthquakes or landslides, can cause catastrophic damage to coastal communities. As waves approach the shore where the water becomes shallower, their energy is compressed into a smaller volume, creating higher waves through a process known as shoaling. This is when their crest can tumble down the face of the wave—a phenomenon well known to surfers.
Understanding the Distance Between Tsunami Wave Crests
Applying the provided information, if a tsunami travels at a speed of 600 km/h and we expect a wave crest every 15 minutes (or 4 waves per hour), we can calculate the distance between these crests at sea. Knowing that speed equals distance divided by time, we can use the speed (600 km/h) and the frequency of the waves (4 per hour) to find the distance between crests: Distance = Speed / Frequency. Therefore, the distance between crests = 600 km/h divided by 4 waves/h, which equals 150 km between successive wave crests.