Earth Science - Oceans & Coast - quizzes 21 & 22

Salts are no longer being added to the ocean

Ocean water does not continue to get saltier and saltier. Which of the following is NOT an explanation for this?

wavelength

The horizontal distance separating successive wave crests is called the __________.

-is created by waves approaching at an oblique angle -is achieved by longshore currents -may create spits *******all of the above

The movement of sand parallel to the shore ________.

longshore current

The movement of water within the surf zone that parallels the shore is termed ________.

spit

A ridge of sand projecting into a bay and often having a hooked end is a ________.

east

Air moving from the equator to the south pole will turn which direction?

groin

A barrier built at a right angle to the beach for the purpose of trapping sand that is moving parallel to the shore is called a(n) ________.

equal to its wave base (about half the wavelength)

Waves begin to "feel bottom" when the depth of water is ________.

salinity and temperature

What factors affect seawater density?

Plankton are drifters/weak swimmers, nekton are swimmers, and benthos are bottom dwellers

What is the difference between organisms described as plankton, nekton, and benthos?

Upwelling

What process brings greater concentrations of dissolved nutrients to the ocean surface, promoting plankton growth?

They will both increase salinity

What will the evaporation of water and the formation of sea ice do to the salinity of water?

Deep zone

Which layer of the ocean has constant high-density water and temperatures that are just a few degrees above freezing?

A

Which letter in the diagram is the shoreline?

Gulf Stream

Which of the following currents flows along the East Coast of the United States and helps to keep northwestern Europe warmer in the winter than what would be expected at that latitude?

-beach nourishment -groin -seawall ********all of these

Which of the following is designed to try to prevent or slow shoreline erosion?

sea arch

Which one of the following is a landform created by wave erosion?

a marine terrace

Which one of the following would indicate that the land had been uplifted or that sea level had fallen?

-It enables water to transfer its heat from the equator to the poles very well -It buffers Earth's surface against significant daily temperature changes -It protects Earth's surface against seasonal temperature changes *****All of the above

Why is the high specific heat of water important to Earth?

High latitudes have cooler surface temperatures, causing no rapid change in temperature with depth

Why is there no thermocline in the ocean at high latitudes?