What term refers to the length of time the wind blows over the ocean surface, a factor in wind wave development?

• A. Wind Strength
• B. Wind Duration
• C. Wind Wave
• D. Apogee

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is wind duration—the length of time the wind blows over the ocean. This matters for wind wave development because the longer the wind blows, the more energy is transferred from the air to the water. With more sustained input, waves can grow taller and have longer periods, up to limits set by how far the wind travels over water (fetch) and the wind’s speed. If the wind only blows briefly, waves remain small because there isn’t enough time for energy to build up.

The other options aren’t about how long the wind blows: wind strength is about wind speed, a factor that also influences wave size but isn’t the duration; a wind wave is simply a wave generated by wind, not a measure of wind duration; apogee is a term from orbital mechanics and has no relevance to wind-wave growth.