Which progressive wave has particles move in closed circles?

Which progressive wave has particles move in closed circles?

• A. Progressive Wave
• B. Rogue Wave
• C. Orbital Wave
• D. Seiche

Answer: (C)

In progressive surface waves, the water particles move in orbital paths. For deep-water waves these orbits are nearly perfect circles: as a crest passes, a particle moves upward and forward, then downward and backward, tracing a closed circle before the next cycle. The size of the circle is related to the wave amplitude and this motion fades with depth, becoming more elliptical in shallow water and flattening near the bottom. This circular motion is what defines an orbital wave. The other options don’t describe this particle path: a generic progressive wave doesn’t specify the motion pattern, a rogue wave is an unusually large transient event, and a seiche is a standing wave in a confined basin with nodes and antinodes, not a traveling wave with circular particle paths.

In progressive surface waves, the water particles move in orbital paths. For deep-water waves these orbits are nearly perfect circles: as a crest passes, a particle moves upward and forward, then downward and backward, tracing a closed circle before the next cycle. The size of the circle is related to the wave amplitude and this motion fades with depth, becoming more elliptical in shallow water and flattening near the bottom. This circular motion is what defines an orbital wave. The other options don’t describe this particle path: a generic progressive wave doesn’t specify the motion pattern, a rogue wave is an unusually large transient event, and a seiche is a standing wave in a confined basin with nodes and antinodes, not a traveling wave with circular particle paths.