19/20. Oceans and Shorelines
If a beach is in an east-west orientation and the waves are approaching the shore from a southeasterly direction, in which direction will the longshore drift be? (North is the top of the page, west is left, east is right, south is bottom) a. southern b. northern c. western d. eastern
Western
Beach nourishment involves ____________________________. a. the removal of sand and rock from coastal areas b. adding vitamins to the aquatic beach environment to support reef life c. planting reef communities d. adding additional sand to coastal areas
adding additional sand to coastal areas
Longshore current is the result of waves ________. a. retreating back to the ocean b. coming into shore at an angle c. coming in perpendicular to the shore d. created during large storms
coming into shore at an angle
In the figure below, which direction is the longshore drift? a. east (right) b. south (down) c. north (up) d. west (left)
east (right)
Uplifted platforms and notches, and exposed reefs are evidence of _______________. a. submergent coasts b. emergent coasts c. the Coriollis Effect d. atolls
emergent coasts
Longshore currents ________ the shoreline. a. flow parallel to b. flow directly away from c. are not affected by d. flow directly toward
flow parallel to
Because of wave refraction, erosion along an irregular coastline is ________. a. even along the length of the coast b. greatest along headlands c. greatest in bays d. the same as it would be along a regular coastline
greatest along headlands
High tide will be ________ when the Sun and Moon are aligned parallel to each other as opposed to normally (when they are not aligned parallel to each other). a. lower b. the same c. higher d. reversed
higher
A wave will disturb the water to a depth equal to ________. a. its wavelength b. the bottom of the seafloor c. one-half of its wavelength d. its surface amplitude
one-half of its wavelength
An increase in the rate of sea floor spreading would cause ______. a. no change in sea level b. sea level to rise c. sea level to fall d. a tsunami
sea level to rise
Tides are predominantly controlled by: a. the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Earth's rotation b. the hour of the day c. the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Earth's rotation d. the location of land masses
the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Earth's rotation
Barrier islands are constantly moving in the direction of ________. a. the Coriolis effect b. rip tides c. the longshore drift d. the high tide
the longshore drift
Which is the larger of the two tidal bulges? a .the one farthest from the Sun b. the one closest to the Sun c. the one farthest from the Moon d. the one closest to the Moon
the one closest to the Moon
The Coriolis effect causes the apparent deflection of currents due to ________. a. changes in wind speed b. the location of the Moon c. changes in ocean currents d. the rotation of Earth
the rotation of Earth
In the figure below, which letters represent the crest and trough? a. A and B b. D and E c. B and C d. C and D
C and D
When sea level rises and floods a glacially carved valley, the area is called a(n) ________. a. wetland b. fjord c. drowned river valley d. reef
Fjord
The zig-zag movement of sand along shorelines results in the development of many shoreline features, such as spits and baymouth bars. What is the name of this process, and what is the cause? a. longshore drift - salt water intrusion b. sand refraction - wave refraction c. longshore current - longshore drift d. longshore drift - longshore current
Longshore drift - longshore current
On an irregular shoreline, the energy of a wave is ________________. a. concentrated along the headlands by wave refraction b. concentrated along the beaches by wave refraction c. completely dissipated before reaching the shore d. evenly spread over the entire shoreline
NOT completely dissipated before reaching the shore
What prevents each spot on Earth from experiencing two precise high tides and low tides a day? a. the shape of the tidal bulges b. the position of the Moon relative to Earth c. the shape of the seafloor and coastline d. the position of the Sun relative to the Moon
NOT the position of the Moon relative to Earth NOT the position of the sun relative to the moon
Why do beaches become sediment-starved after dams are installed on rivers? a. The chemical composition of river water is changed when it flows through a dam; this alters the amount of chemical weathering that occurs along the coast. b. Dams are built using sediment covered in concrete; the sediment most often comes from nearby beaches. c. Dams trap water, thus reducing the volume of water that enters the ocean and erodes away the coast to produce sediment. d. Rivers supply sediment to beaches; dams trap river sediment, and thus that sediment cannot make it to the beaches.
Rivers supply sediment to beaches; dams trap river sediment, and thus that sediment cannot make it to the beaches.
Reefs are different from other shoreline features We have discussed one way in which they are distinct, and we will address another at the conclusion of the course. You don't need to know that yet to answer this question. What are distinct ways reefs differ from other shoreline features? a. They depend on living processes to create them, and they can become a future fossil fuel. b. They are entirely nature made, and they thrive in all environments. c. They occur only as fringing reefs d. They survive in only certain areas, and they depend on nonliving processes to create them.
They depend on living processes to create them, and they can become a future fossil fuel.
Wind is an influence on ________. a. waves b. tsunamis c. currents d. tides
waves