Author Question: What is the difference between a storm surge and a seiche? What are the behaviors and causes of ... (Read 86 times)

armygirl · **on:** Aug 22, 2018

What is the difference between a storm surge and a seiche? What are the behaviors and causes of each?

Question 2

Explain at least three processes that happen to light from the sun as it reaches the surface of the ocean.

softEldritch · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Storm surge is a large dome of water driven by tropical cyclones or frontal storms. This dome of water is created due to the low pressure associated with the center of these storms which push the storm surges to shore
Storm surges are also called storm tides due to the magnitude of water it can bring to shore. This can be compounded by interactions with high tides.
A seiche is a rocking of water in an enclosed bay or harbor. The eater sloshes back and forth. It can spill over at the edges of a basin, but quickly settle down. This is particularly true in the middle where it becomes a standing wave.
Seiches can be generated by tides, storm surges or seabed displacement.

Answer to Question 2

Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation (energy). As light from the sun hits the surface of the ocean, many different things happen. First, some of the light is reflected back into the atmosphere. Secondly, the water absorbs light wavelengths and the energy is converted to heat. Thirdly, some of the sun's energy is absorbed by particles or by photosynthetic organisms living in the photic zone. Light is also scattered in the ocean. Scattering occurs as light is bounced around between water molecules/organisms and particles in the ocean. The result of all this activity is that light is attenuated very quickly in the ocean only reaching a couple hundred meters.