Which term describes waves bending around headlands?

• A. Waves rise and break over shallow water
• B. Waves bend around headlands
• C. Waves increase height in shallow water
• D. Water moving seaward rapidly

Answer: (B)

Diffraction is the term for waves bending as they pass around obstacles like headlands. When a wave train meets a headland, parts of the wave can move around the tip, and the fronts wrap around the obstacle, spreading into the sheltered side. This bending and spreading is diffraction, the mechanism behind waves wrapping around coastal features. The other descriptions describe shoaling and height gain in shallow water, or seaward flow, which are not about the wavefront bending around an obstacle.