Gino Gregorio, age 7, of Gallup, New Mexico, for his question:

What makes the ocean waves?

Most waves are made by the wind, as gusty breezes blow over the surface of the sea. Gentle winds make gentle waves    and wild storm winds whip up giant waves. When a fierce storm travels over the ocean, it pushes the waves ahead. They move faster, on and on so that the waves reach the shore before the storm arrives. People who live by the sea know about these waves from afar. They know that certain long rolling waves were made by a windy storm that is heading their way. Some of these wind made waves travel thousands of miles across the ocean.

Other waves are made by happenings on the floor of the ocean. In some places, there are steep slopes between the deep ocean floor and the shallow shores. When the water below is restless, these slopes cause waves on the surface. And sometimes there are seaquakes in the ocean floor. These ocean earthquakes shake up the water and create the biggest waves that ever happen.