A small island in the open ocean is receiving swell coming from the southeast. Yet, waves break all around its shores, not just the ones facing southeast. The process responsible for this phenomenon is ________.
A) refraction
B) erosion
C) reflection
D) diffraction
E) isostasy

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Wave refraction is the bending of waves as they approach shallow water near the shore, causing them to change direction and break around the island, not just on the side facing the incoming swell.

A Small Island in the Open Ocean Is Receiving Swell