Physical Geography Chapter 20
________ occurs first in the evolution of a single ocean wave.
A wave of oscillation
_______ are the most prominent erosional features created by waves.
Headlands
Compared to today, sea level 125,0000 years ago (in an interglacial part of the Pleistocene) was ________.
Higher
The distance between one wave crest and the next is known as the ________.
Wavelength
The main "ingredient" in the formation of coral is ________.
calcium carbonate
Which of the following is most closely related to eustatic forces?
change in sea level
The most effective coastal erosion is accomplished by ________.
hydraulic pounding
Debris in seawater is usually carried ________ along the beach.
in a zigzag path
Global warming would cause ________.
inundation of coastal plains
Which of the following shoreline features does NOT belong with the others?
lagoon
On the cliff/bench/terrace coastline, the terrace consists of ________.
loose rocks
The most widespread of all coastal depositional features is ________.
the beach
Which of the following is NOT a beach area regularly covered by water?
the berm
A wave will "break" because ________.
the bottom interferes with its oscillatory motion
In the last few thousand years, sea level changes have resulted from all but ________.
the change of the total volume of water in the Earth system
In an idealized beach profile, which feature would occur at the highest elevation?
the dunes
An island connected to the coastline by a sandy spit is a relatively rare occurrence called a ________.
tombolo
Seismic sea waves may also be referred to as ________.
tsunamis
The origin of tsunamis is associated with ________.
underseas tectonic events
If you were floating in the middle of the ocean and a wave passed by, your motion would be ________.
up and down
Coral is _______
waste material from animals
The oceanic tides rise and fall in a rhythmic cycle that takes place roughly once every ________ hours.
12
The sandy barrier islands, characteristic of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, are as long as ________ kilometers.
50
Spray from breaking waves has been found to move at more than ________ miles an hour
70
Most present atolls are on former ________ islands
Volcanic
A coast embayed with numerous estuaries is likely to be ________.
a shoreline of submergence
The disastrous tsunami of 2004 ________.
affected the Indian Ocean
The most advanced stage of tropical reef formation is exhibited in ________.
an atoll
Along coastal cliffs, the most effective erosion takes place ________.
at sea level
Only after ________ have attained large size, do they begin to migrate toward the shore.
barrier bars
Waves generated by wind are also known as ________.
forced waves
The ________ is regularly covered and uncovered by the rise and fall of tides.
foreshore zone
A(n) ________ is attached to and built out from the shoreline.
fringing reef
Most atolls began as ________ around volcanic islands which later subsided beneath the sea.
fringing reefs
Which of the following is most important in creating landforms along lake shorelines?
ice push
The steepest beaches tend to be those with ________.
particles larger than sand
Which of the following is most closely associated with the compression of air in coastline rocks?
pneumatic action
Calcium carbonate affects coastal landforms because it is produced in huge amounts by ________.
polyps
Tides _______
produce currents scouring the bottom
As a wave approaches an irregular shoreline, one portion of the wave reaches shallow waters sooner than other portions and is thus slowed down. This slowing down causes the wave line to bend and the bending is called ________.
refraction
The phenomenon of waves changing direction as they approach the shoreline is known as ________.
refraction
Stream outflow is important to coastal landscapes because streams provide ________ to the coastal environment.
sediments
A linear extension of sand from the shore into the ocean is a ________.
spit
Almost all of the world's oceanic coastlines show evidence of ________ during the past 15,000 years.
submergence
Waves become ________ when they travel beyond the influence of the wind that generates them.
swell
Which of the following is NOT a necessary condition needed for the growth of coral?
the presence of an underwater volcano
Which of the following has origins linked to lowered Pleistocene sea levels?
the presence of the large barrier islands
The angle of the beach slope is controlled by ________.
the size of the materials
Which of the following coastal features does NOT belong with the others?
wave-cut bench
The single most important force in shaping coastal topography is the ________.
waves
The vertical distance from the still water level to the crest of a wave is called the ________.
Amplitude
A(n) ________ is a landform which almost always assumes a circular shape.
Atoll
The Great Barrier Reef is associated with ________.
Australia
Which of the following is a zone of active deposition of materials by waves?
Berm
Which location does NOT possess a fjorded coastline?
California
Concerning lake shores, which of the following is FALSE?
Lakeshore landforms are less conspicuous than ocean shore landforms.
________ are strings of closely-spaced coral islets separated by narrow channels of water.
Motus
A(n) ________ shoreline is one with numerous estuaries.
Ria
Which of the following coastline EFFECTS is best matched with CAUSE?
Sand transport : Longshore currents
Which of the following is FALSE?
Sea level is higher today than at any time in Earth's history.
________ is the longest barrier island along the coast of the United States.
Padre Island
The cascading forward motion of breaking waves as they rush upon the shore is called ________.
Swash
Concerning tsunamis, which of the following is FALSE? 26)
They are very tall in the open sea.
A megathrust was responsible for generating the disastrous tsunami of 2004.
True
At one time, sea level was higher than it is today.
True
Beaches are ephemeral in longevity and are very temporary in form.
True
Beaches are generally wider in the summer than in the winter.
True
Coral fringes nearly all tropical coastlines.
True
Ice push is significant in modifying shoreline formations at the edges of water bodies that freeze over.
True
If the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets were to melt, the result would be a significant increase in sea level.
True
Many coastal mudflats were once lagoons.
True
Many extensive wave-cut benches are buried by sediment.
True
Many of the larger barrier islands may have been formed when sea level was lower than today.
True
Polyps are the individual creatures making coral.
True
The Gulf Coast of the United States is fringed by a long string of barrier islands.
True
The fate of most coastal lagoons is to be filled in and become part of the land itself.
True
The lack of silts and clays along beaches indicate that beaches are zones of high energy where small-sized materials cannot settle out.
True
________ is the location of the highest tides in the world. 33)
Canada
Which of the following is NOT associated with beaches?
Clay
Wave height" and "fetch" are synonymous.
False
The force of ________, in conjunction with the wind, is the cause of most waves.
Friction
Which of the following is a term associated with coral reefs adjacent to shorelines?
Fringing
A wave-cut platform closely resembles the letter ________.
L
Which of the following is NOT associated with tides? 32)
Large amounts of erosion on most coasts
Which of the following is NOT a shaper of the oceanic coastlines?
Poisonous blooms of algae
Which of the following is TRUE of tides?
They have small effects on landforms.
A ________ is formed when converging waves deposit sand from two directions.
Tombolo
Wave shape changes usually occur in zones near the coast rather than in open water.
True
Water moving roughly parallel to the shoreline is called ________.
a longshore current
As they travel on the open sea, tsunamis ________.
are inconspicuous
A ________ transforms a bay into a lagoon.
baymouth bar
Beach sand moves along the shore in a movement of materials called ________.
beach drifting
Which of the following is NOT a type of spit?
offshore bar
The ________ is the area where waves break and surf action is greatest.
offshore zone
Generally, ________ waves are gentle phenomena.
oscillation
________are most closely associated with a change in the volume of ocean water?
Eustatic forces
Compared to other causes, wind is a minor generator of wave action along coasts.
False
Coral flourishes best in cool water.
False
Coral is usually localized in areas having relatively cool ocean currents in Tropical Latitudes.
False
In recent Earth history, submergence has been rare over most of the world's coasts.
False
Most waves approach the coast parallel to the coast.
False
Terraces are usually closer to the coastline than are wave-cut benches.
False
The Great Barrier Reef is a huge, continuous mass of coral.
False
Tides and currents carry a very small amount of debris.
False
Wave action on coastlines is entirely a mechanical weathering process.
False
Waves of translation become waves of oscillation.
False
Tectonically rising coasts are most closely associated with ______
marine terraces
Over time, most coastal lagoons become ________.
marshes
The combination of hydraulic pounding, abrasion and other forces at the base of a sea cliff produces a(n) ________.
notch
Some coastal landforms are built by sea creatures capable of producing rocklike material called ________.
calcium carbonate
A group of anthozoan animals is responsible for the formation of ________.
coral reefs
The largest storm waves stir the subsurface water down to the ________.
depth of tens of meters
The most prominent result of coastal submergence is the ________.
drowning of river valleys
Which of the following is most closely associated with fjords?
glaciers
Coastal landform modifications are sometimes caused by a localized increase in the volume of water. The modification process is called ________.
ice push
Where are tides significant agents in coastal erosion?
in narrow bays
Which of the following categories of coastline is most closely associated with fjords?
submergence
Which of the following is most closely associated with waves of oscillation?
surface waves on deep water
Most material eroded from a coastal cliff ends up as a ________.
terrace
Which of the following is most important to shoreline erosion?
waves
Most waves are generated by ________.
wind
In what time of year do beaches get smaller?
winter
