this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
29 points (93.9% liked)

Explain Like I'm Five

16491 readers
17 users here now

Simplifying Complexity, One Answer at a Time!

Rules

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Engage in constructive discussions.
  4. Share relevant content.
  5. Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
  6. Use appropriate language and tone.
  7. Report violations.
  8. Foster a continuous learning environment.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] neidu3 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

No. Not all energy in the oceans cause waves.

Let's say you magically dampen all of the surface waves... there will still be plenty of energy in the ocean, which eventually will cause the surface to move.

As a simplified example, the Atlantic currents are really strong, moving in a figure of eight between south America and scandinavia. However, most of it happens near the ocean bottom.

In some spots near the coast of Brazil this current is strong enough to cause anchored surface buoys to have wakes, while it can be perfectly calm a few km away. But the currents are still there, just much much deeper. The amount of energy involved in this Atlantic dynamo is extreme.

Source: Trying to accurately position subsea sensors at 1800 meters depth in the Campos basin is fucking annoying. The subsurface currents go in different directions based on how high in the water column you're measuring. I have seen these cables hanging from ship to seabed, and the transponders show it being pulled in wildly different directions at various depths. It was common to see it diverge several hundred meters in two or three directions along its length at the same time - It was like trying to accurately position a 1800m long {

[–] Zeppo 20 points 3 days ago

Waves are created from energy unlocked from various sources, including wind, the Moon, earthquakes, and underwater landslides. So, it seems unlikely.

[–] ryedaft 6 points 3 days ago

No.

You can't do a full conversion of energy. If all the energy in the waves was absorbed the generators wouldn't be moving and no energy would be generated. It would be a paradox. That wasn't very ELI5 but again "No".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No, not as long as the sun is pouring energy into the system that is our planet.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Wouldn't that basically destroy the entire planet?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They want to stop the oceans from wobbling.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (2 children)

What does he mean by "seven seas"?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

The seven seas is an old term, basically meaning "all the seas". It's been around for a time.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)
  • The North Pacific Ocean
  • The South Pacific Ocean
  • The North Atlantic Ocean
  • The South Atlantic Ocean
  • The Indian Ocean
  • The Arctic Ocean
  • The Antarctic Ocean
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Thank you, I never heard it before. There are five oceans as far as I know.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

It'the term is kind of old fashioned, more used in poetry. Also there isn't really consense over what the seven seas are. Some count Atlantic and Pacific as one each and add stuff like the carribbean, the gulf of ~~Mexico~~ America or the Mediterranean.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

Oceans aren't seas, seas are now generally considered smaller bodies of water. It's fairly arbitrary though so not really an important distinction. Language changes