Chapter 16 Oceans and Coastlines

Barrier beaches and islands occur worldwide, lying offshore of nearly ___________% of Earth's coastlines

10

Which of the following is true of the Earth's coastlines?

Most of the Earth's coastlines are relatively young and undergoing continuous change

Why are corals more prevalent on the east coasts of continents?

The water is warmer

Material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast is called a

barrier spit

When the height of a wave exceeds its vertical stability, the wave is called a

breaker

An atoll is approximately ________ in shape because it forms ________.

circular; around submerged volcanic islands

Areas in which the land is typically rising in relation to sea level are called

emergent coastlines

These features, here from Lake Michigan, disrupt sediment movement along a coast

groins

Mean sea level

is based on the average tidal levels recorded hourly at a given site over a period of many years

The height of a tsunami grows as it approaches a coastline primarily because

its wavelength shortens

When the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in alignment (i.e., in opposition or conjunction)

maximum tidal ranges occur

Which of the following is NOT responsible for changes in sea level?

melting sea ice

Increasing ocean acidification has been attributed to

ocean absorption of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide

A stony coral is a type of ________ that secretes ________ to form an organic rock home.

polyp; calcium carbonate

Within the deep cold zone, average temperature and salinity

remain fairly constant with depth

A ________ is created when the backwash of water produced by breakers flows to the ocean from the beach in a concentrated column.

rip current

Undercutting action of the sea results in

sea cliffs

On average, ocean water is

slightly basic (pH around 8)

In which of the following region would you expect to have the highest levels of seawater salinity?

subtropical oceans

Regular patterns of smooth, rounded waves are called

swells

A ________ is deposited sediment that connects a shoreline with an offshore island.

tombolo

Wave action works to straighten a coast as wave energy focuses around headlands and tends to disperse energy in coves and bays in a process called

wave refraction

The worldwide average salinity of seawater is

35%

Approximately what percentage of the United States' population lives in coastal areas?

53%

A major difference between a barrier island and a barrier spit is

a barrier spit is connected to the mainland, whereas a barrier island is not.