In our time it is hard to imagine that once on Earth there were no people and the cities in which they live now, as well as roads and arable land. But the fact is that in all geological periods the ocean was present, and just as today, the waves of the sea rolled between it and the shores. Indeed, the most ancient landscape on our planet is the view of an undulating water surface covering two-thirds of it. How many poets have been inspired by the waves of the sea! But does their description reflect the true essence of this phenomenon?
We look at the pictures: the waves of the sea appear to us on them sliding through the water column. But it turns out that this is not the case. If you look closely at a chip or any other object on the water (for example, a boat), we notice that the oncoming sea waves do not push it, but only raise it, then lower it. In the same way, the yellowing cornfield in the fields is agitated up and down with gusts of wind. Its ears and stems do not change their location and do not roll from one area to another. They just lie down a little forward, and then return to their original position again. But we do not see this, because we observe "waves" running across the field one after another, andall the ears remain in the same place.
A similar phenomenon is reflected in oral folk art. Recall the proverb comparing human rumor and sea waves. How quickly news spreads throughout the city. But at the same time, no one runs from one end to the other, proclaiming them. It's just that news is transmitted in waves from mouth to mouth and covers the entire territory.
But back to our topic. What is the reason that gives rise to these most beautiful, fast and strong sea waves, photos of which can shake our imagination and even inspire fear with their very appearance? She is known even to children: "Wind, wind! You are mighty!". Its gusts hit the water and "bent" its surface. As a result, part of it bends down, and part flies up. In this case, the excitement is transmitted to other points and captures vast areas. And now we are already seeing a horizontal effect that is transmitted at great speed. Waves caused by an earthquake also spread very quickly. Moreover, they are observed not only on the water, but also on the surface of the earth.
The illusions of our vision affect the perception of the height of the waves on the sea or ocean. Legends of mountain-high waves turned out to be unproven after scientists actually measured them. The point here is that during a storm, observers are on the deck of a ship, which, together with the water column, either drops sharply down, or soars up on the crest of a wave. With such pitching, even low waves seemhuge shafts. This happens because the passenger on deck observes them not vertically, but diagonally, equal to the length of the slope. In the open sea, the force of the wind is always more powerful. But s alt water has a high density and does not allow it to create huge waves. For sailors, this phenomenon is often associated with a natural disaster. But for living creatures inhabiting the water depths, sea waves (both large and small) serve for the good. They oxygenate their habitat.
