environmental geology 9
Breakwaters are commonly used in coastal engineering. What is the basic purpose of installing a breakwater?
- Create a quiet area to moor boats and reduce erosion
What is the problem with the use of beach groins?
- Down-drift areas will experience beach starvation
A general term for the coastal environment is
- Littoral zone
Which of the following occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in alignment (i.e., in opposition or conjunction)?
- Maximum tidal ranges occur
Tropical cyclones originate entirely within tropical air masses.
- True
Worldwide average salinity is _______.
- 3.5%
Why are longshore currents important in environmental geology?
- Cause the beach itself to migrate over time
From inland to the ocean, which sequence of zones is correct?
- Coast, backshore, foreshore, nearshore
Which of the following best describes the cause of ocean tides?
- Earth's spinning motion and gravitational effect of the Moon and Sun.
Hurricanes are a coastal hazard for all of the following reasons except
- Excessive beach development
Which part of a hurricane consists of dry, descending air?
- Eye
Although many elements are dissolved in seawater; no gases are dissolved in it.
- False
As the evaporation rate increases, salinity decreases.
- False
Brine water tends to occur near coastal deltas.
- False
Seawater is not a solution.
- False
Should you ever find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip current, it is important to immediately try to swim directly back to shore.
- False
The size of the contact area between the wind and water is called ______.
- Fetch
Brine water results from
- High evaporation rates
Hurricanes cause a regional rise in sea level (dome of water) that can result in a very dangerous phenomenon known as storm surge. What best explains the cause for this rise in sea level?
- High winds and lower air pressure within the storm
Tropical cyclones are called in ___ North America, ___ in China, and ___ in Australia.
- Hurricanes - Typhoons - Cyclones
Brackish water would be most likely to occur
- In a deltaic swamp
Beach nourishment is a common technique for minimizing shoreline retreat. Which of the following is a negative consequence of beach nourishment?
- Is costly and must be done periodically
Seawalls are commonly used to stop shoreline retreat. Which of the following is a negative consequence of building a seawall?
- Loss of the beach at high tide
The largest ocean in the world in terms of area is the ___ ocean and the smallest ocean in terms of area is the ___ ocean.
- Pacific - Arctic
List two types of wave breakers: ___ breakers occur at steep beaches and tend to be highly erosive at the shoreline, and ___ breakers occur at gentle slope beaches and are more gentle and may facilitate the deposition of sand on beaches.
- Plunging - Spilling
Currents out in the open ocean are primarily driven by which of the following?
- Prevailing winds and density differences of the water
The concentration of dissolved solids in the seawater is called_________.
- Salinity
Which of the following best describes leading edge shorelines?
- Steep slopes, irregular coastline, restricted beaches
About 2% of the oceanic mass comprise
- The mixing zone of blended solutes and temperatures
Which of the following is not true of tides?
- They are produced solely by the gravitational pull of the Sun
Mass wasting hazards are less likely to occur along trailing edge shorelines than along leading edge shorelines.
- True
The Moon's gravitational pull on the Earth is greater than that of the Sun's.
- True
What is meant by wave base?
- Water depth affected by a wave
Which of the following explains why longshore currents develop along shorelines?
- Wave Refraction
What is wave base a measure of?
- Wave energy
What best explains how surf forms along a shoreline?
- Waves beginning to drag on the seafloor and slowing down
What best describes why irregular shorelines evolve and become straighter over time?
- Waves erode headlands and deposit sediment in coves and bays
What is meant by the term surf zone?
- Zone of breaking waves
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
- spring tides-high tides only