I've noticed this before, but never really thought why, when you're in a plane, looking down over the sea, do the waves look motionless - like they've been frozen?
2007-09-22 05:58:54 · 6 answers · asked by coxy 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Think about the opposite situation. When you see an airplane in the sky, it moves quite slowly. However, if it were to pass you by on the streets, it would simply zoom past you.
It's all about the distance the object is. The change in position becomes harder to notice when you are far away, since the viewing resolution (distance between two points) diminishes.
2007-09-22 06:13:11 · answer #1 · answered by Dark Matter Physicist 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
in the open ocean, on a clear, calm day, you wouldn't notice much wave action..... it's only when the bottom becomes shallow, like near a beach, that the wave will rise up, crest, break and show you the real action.... or when there is strong winds in a storm that can push against a wave and cause it to rise and fall like in the movie "Perfect Storm'.... remember, even a tidal wave is unseen as it travels across the ocean, until it gets to land.....drop a rock into a pool and you see the waves radiate out from the place it fell?... but no white foam and no crest to ride on with the surfboards, right?.... same deal on the open ocean.... there has to be something to push against for a wave to be visible....
2007-09-23 01:09:38 · answer #2 · answered by meanolmaw 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
In an airplane, your own motion is much faster than that of the waves. If you watch the ocean from a hot air balloon, you will see the waves moving.
2007-09-22 08:45:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Distance.
2007-09-22 06:03:08 · answer #4 · answered by baby_face_paris 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
cus your still to high dude lol.
2007-09-25 16:58:16 · answer #5 · answered by GREG 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It all balances out.
2007-09-22 06:07:26 · answer #6 · answered by Hahaha! 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋