How has the energy of ocean waves altered the beach pictured above? A. It has caused the shoreline to erode. B. It has increased the frequency and amplitude of the tides. C. It has caused chemical weathering of the shoreline. D. It has increased the speed of the tides.

Winds are primary energy source for currents that flow horizontally in the ocean surface layers (less than 100 to 200 m deep). Hence surface currents often called “wind driven currents” or “wind drift currents”.

Currents that flow deep in the oceans below the level affected by winds are generated by convection caused by variations in water density. Higher-density waters sink and displace (push aside or up) less –dense water. Because density is determined by temperature and salinity, deep-water circulation is called “thermohaline circulation”.

The winds are the primary source for both ‘wind driven circulation’ and ‘thermohaline circulation’ is the sun. Winds are generated by the density variations in the earth’s atmosphere caused by solar heating and radiative and evaporative cooling.

Thermohaline circulation is driven by density difference between ocean water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations.

Explanation:

This is the main cause to form a wave over the sea surface.