As waves get closer to a beach they _____.increase in lengthdecrease in heightdecrease in energyincrease in energy

When waves approach a beach, they undergo a series of transformations due to the interaction with the ocean floor. Here's a detailed analysis of the provided options:

1. Increase in Length: This option is incorrect. As waves enter shallower water near the shore, they tend to slow down, which can actually cause their wavelengths to decrease rather than increase.

2. Decrease in Height: This option is also incorrect. Usually, as waves approach the shore and the water depth decreases, the energy of the wave is conserved by increasing their height, leading to the phenomenon known as wave steepening.

3. Decrease in Energy: This is not accurate either. While waves can lose some energy due to friction with the seabed, the overall energy can actually increase as the wave height increases and they pile up in shallower waters.

4. Increase in Energy: This option is closest to being true, but it's a bit nuanced. The wave energy becomes concentrated as the wave height increases, even though there may be some loss due to breaking waves.

Given these considerations, the best answer here would be that waves typically increase in height as they approach the beach, which ultimately means they also experience an increase in energy concentration, although they may lose some energy when they break.

Final Answer

Waves increase in height as they approach a beach, indicating a concentration of energy.