Question

12. You are the captain of the USS MGA caught in a storm sailing across Lake Erie.   Winds have been blowing for about 2 hours at 27 m/s. Meanwhile, your good friend is the captain of the USS Cochran caught in a storm sailing across the Pacific Ocean (winds also blowing for about 2 hours at 27 m/s). Which of you is experiencing the higher waves? Why? (3)

Answer 1

Answer: Although the wind speed is the same (27 m/s) in both cases, higher waves will be experienced by my friend. There is a difference in the storm sailing across a lake (Lake Erie) and an ocean (Pacific Ocean). Lake Erie (like other lakes) is completely sounded by land, in which the waves are not as strong as in the Pacific Ocean waves. In oceans, the wind travels for a long distance and there is a higher chance for stronger waves. Oceans are deeper than lakes. Oceans have bigger waves than that of the lakes.