what causes waves on an ocean?

Answer 1

The tides and wind.

Answer 2

Waves on any ocean are caused by several effects happening all at once or one or two together:

1. Earthquakes and tremors (pushes the water)

2. Volanic activity (causes underwater movement)

3. Winds (pushes water surface into waves)

4. Heat from the sun (expansion and contraction)

5. Coriolis Effect (water cannot keep up with Earth rotation and 'shifts')

6. Great Rivers (pouring into the ocean can create waves)

7. Storms (can whip up the water forming great waves)

8. The Moon (gravity from the moon shifts the oceans, tides, that can result in waves).

Waves can travel great distances. Waves can originate from any of the above sources and collide with each other, forming more and different waves. Depending on where the wave is first formed (mid-ocean, continental shelf, etc.) can determine the quantity and characteristics of a wave.
In mid-Ocean, several different types of waves can occur at once resulting in what sailors call a 'confused sea'.

Answer 3

the wind causes the waves...and the moon causes tides due to the gravataional pull of the moon on earth. Did you know that the earth is being affected by the moon more than it is by any of the other planets, even though it is alot smaller... this is due to newtons inverse square law

Answer 4

the earth's moon causes the tides
waves are caused by the wind

Answer 5

lunar gravity pulls on the water and wind makes wave too.

Answer 6

The moon's gravitational pull and wind.

Answer 7

the Moon

Answer 8

people dump their whoo-hoo in the ocean so everytime a 'bomb' drops, it causes the waves =] ...genius? i know ^^

Answer 9

wind, moon gravity and current flow

Answer 10

the slight gravitational of moon