The higher the wind speed and the longer the fetch or distance of open water across which the wind blows and waves travel, the ____ waves and the ____ energy they process.

larger, more
larger, less
smaller, more
smaller, less

The correct answer is: A. larger, more.

The size of waves is determined by the wind speed and the fetch. The longer the fetch, the more time the wind has to act on the water, and the larger the waves will be. The higher the wind speed, the more energy the wind has to transfer to the water, and the larger the waves will be.

The energy of waves is proportional to the square of the wave height. This means that a wave twice as high has four times as much energy. The energy of waves is also proportional to the length of the wave. This means that a wave twice as long has twice as much energy.

Therefore, the higher the wind speed and the longer the fetch, the larger the waves and the more energy they process.