Deck 16: Oceans and Coastal Systems

Question 1

The chemical composition of seawater may be affected by

A)the atmosphere only.
B)sediments only.
C)marine organisms only
D)minerals only.
E)the atmosphere,marine organisms,minerals,and ocean sediments.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Approximately what percentage of the world's population lives near the ocean?

A)33%
B)25%
C)40%
D)70%
E)95%

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Worldwide salinity varies between and .

A)3%;10%
B)30%;40%
C)47%;51%
D)65%;67%
E)67%;74%

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Globally,over million people live in low-elevation coastal areas that are less than 30 m (98 ft. )above sea level.

A)12
B)36
C)125
D)333
E)630

Question 5

The worldwide average salinity of seawater is

A)5%.
B)35%.
C)45%.
D)55%.
E)75%.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes seawater?

A)Seawater is pure water (H20).
B)Seawater is a solution.
C)The chemical composition of seawater has little spatial variability.
D)The salinity of seawater is negligible.
E)Seawater is densest near the surface,with decreasing density at increasing depths.

Question 7

Which of the following is not true of the inputs to Earth's coastal environments?

A)Compared to other inputs,human activities are insignificant coastal inputs.
B)Solar energy inputs drive prevailing winds,weather systems,and climates.
C)Atmospheric winds generate ocean currents and waves.
D)Climate strongly influences coastal geomorphic processes.
E)Coastal geomorphology is important in determining rates of erosion and deposition.

Question 8

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

A)17%
B)22%
C)53%
D)65%
E)81%

Question 9

The chemical composition of seawater

A)contains 18 elements which account for 75% of the dissolved solids in seawater.
B)contains dissolved gases,suspended and dissolved organic matter,and many trace elements.
C)is exceptionally heterogeneous,varying across the vast oceans of the world.
D)has varied greatly over the Earth's history.
E)is highest in salinity near large landmasses and at higher latitudes.

Question 10

The ocean's physical structure.Schematic of the average vertical zonation as sampled along a line from Greenland to the South Atlantic. Within the deep cold zone,average temperature and salinity

A)decrease with depth.
B)increase with depth.
C)remain fairly constant with depth.
D)decrease and then increase just above the seafloor.
E)increase and decrease,respectively.

Question 11

Seawater that exceeds the 35% average is termed

A)brackish.
B)brine.
C)mesohaline.
D)freshwater.
E)saline.

Question 12

Increasing ocean acidification has been attributed to

A)higher evaporation rates associated with climate change.
B)changes in thermohaline circulation associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
C)freshwater inputs from melting ice.
D)coastal erosion caused by changes in stream flow and increased precipitation.
E)ocean absorption of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Question 13

Higher than average seawater salinity may results from

A)the influx of river water into the ocean.
B)stagnation of water in a floodplain swamp.
C)high evapotranspiration rates.
D)heavy rainfall and low temperatures.
E)melting of sea ice.

Question 14

Latitudinal variation of surface salinity and temperature In which of the following region would you expect to have the highest levels of seawater salinity?

A)equatorial oceans
B)subtropical oceans
C)polar oceans
D)midlatitude oceans
E)subarctic oceans

Question 15

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

A)Most of the Earth's coastlines are relatively young and undergoing continuous change.
B)The Earth's coastlines are among the oldest landforms on the planet.
C)There are few inputs that directly affect the Earth's coastlines beyond tidal action.
D)The Earth's coastlines show a remarkable degree of similarity across the planet.
E)The erosion and deposition that shape coastlines are caused by marine forces,alone.

Question 16

The ocean's physical structure.Schematic of the average vertical zonation as sampled along a line from Greenland to the South Atlantic. Within the mixing zone and thermocline,average temperature and salinity

A)decrease with depth.
B)increase with depth.
C)remain fairly constant with depth.
D)decrease within the mixing zone,but increases within the thermocline.
E)remain constant within the mixing zone,but increase within the thermocline.

Question 17

Areas with heavy freshwater runoff and low evaporation will have

A)higher than average salinity.
B)lower than average salinity.
C)average salinity.
D)salinity two times higher than normal.
E)no variations in salinity since values are constant.

Question 18

What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?

A)The term sea is used to describe the global,interconnected water body covering 70% of the Earth's surface,whereas oceans refer to the individual basins within this global sea.
B)An ocean is a vast body of water encompassing 70% of the Earth,whereas a sea refers specifically to a large,inland,saline body of water.
C)Seas are generally smaller than an ocean and tend to be at least partly enclosed by land,such as large,inland,saline water bodies.
D)Oceans tend to be composed primarily of salt water,while seas tend to be composed of a near even mixture of brackish and fresh water.
E)The term ocean is used in the Northern Hemisphere,and sea is used in the Southern Hemisphere,so the difference results from geographical location.

Question 19

On average,ocean water is

A)very acidic (low pH).
B)very basic (high pH).
C)slightly basic (pH around 8).
D)mildly acid (a pH slightly less than 7).
E)somewhat basic (a pH around 10).

Question 20

Seawater with less than 35% is termed

A)brackish.
B)brine.
C)metahaline.
D)freshwater.
E)saline.

Question 21

A general term for the coastal area and shallow offshore environment is

A)shoreline.
B)coast.
C)coastline.
D)littoral zone.
E)mixing zone.

Question 22

High tides are known as whereas low tides are known as .

A)flood tides;ebb tides
B)ebb tides;flood tides
C)spring tides;neap tides
D)neap tides;spring tides
E)ebb tides;spring tides

Question 23

When the Sun and Moon are on the same side of Earth or on opposite sides of Earth,the occurs and results in the tidal range between low and high tides.

A)spring tides;lowest
B)spring tides;highest
C)neap tides;lowest
D)neap tides;highest
E)tidal bore;lowest

Question 24

A longshore current involves all of the following except

A)effective wind direction.
B)effective wave direction.
C)waves of transition.
D)transportation of large amounts of sediment and debris.
E)depositional coastline features.

Question 25

When the Sun and Moon form a right angle with Earth,the occurs and results in the tidal range between low and high tides.

A)spring tides;lowest
B)spring tides;greatest
C)neap tides;lowest
D)neap tides;greatest
E)tidal bore;lowest

Question 26

Underwater turbines powered by the movement of flood and ebb tides are known as

A)tidal barrages.
B)tidal bulges.
C)spring tides.
D)neap tides.
E)tidal stream generators.

Question 27

Regular patterns of smooth,rounded waves are called

A)breakers.
B)wave ripples.
C)wave trains.
D)swells.
E)tidal bulges.

Question 28

Which of the following is true regarding wave movement in open water?

A)Water particles are vertically compressed,causing friction with the ocean floor.
B)Waves are more closer spaced and typically higher than those near shore.
C)Water doesn't advance;rather,wave energy moves through the fluid medium of water.
D)The greatest motion of individual water particles occurs at depths greater than one-half the wave length.
E)The crest of the wave rises to a height that exceeds its vertical stability,leading to breakers.

Question 29

As a wave approaches the shoreline and enters shallower water,energy and water move forward causing the water to rise and cascade down from the wave crest as a breaker.These waves are called

A)waves of translation.
B)swells.
C)waves of transition.
D)tidal waves.
E)a wave train.

Question 30

When interfering waves are in alignment so that the crests and troughs from one wave train are in phase with of another,amplified waves called may occur.

A)longshore currents
B)wave refraction
C)tsunami
D)rip currents
E)rogue waves

Question 31

Which of the following is not correct regarding tides?

A)They are produced solely by the gravitational pull of the Sun.
B)They are complex twice daily oscillations in sea level.
C)They are influenced by the size,depth,and topography of ocean basins.
D)They are influenced by shoreline configuration and latitude.
E)They also exist in large lakes,though tidal range is often small.

Question 32

Mean sea level

A)is a consistent value yet to be determined due to the variables involved in producing the tides.
B)is at the same level along the entire North American coast.
C)is based on average tidal levels recorded hourly at a given site over a period of many years.
D)has very little variability across all ocean basins and,therefore,is treated as an absolute value.
E)is constant enabling scientist to determine a single value thereof,though there are local minor variations.

Question 33

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

A)rip current.
B)wave of transition.
C)breaker.
D)tidal wave.
E)wave train.

Question 34

Which of the following is incorrect regarding the littoral zone?

A)It spans both land and water.
B)Landward,it extends to the highest waterline reached on shore during a storm.
C)In general usage,it only includes the foreshore area of coastal environments.
D)Seaward it extends to where water is too deep for storm waves to move sediments.
E)It shifts over time as sea level varies.

Question 35

The coast extends inland

A)to the foreshore dune.
B)to the backshore dune.
C)to the trough between the primary and secondary dune.
D)to the highest water line that occurs during a storm.
E)from the high tide level to the first major landform change.

Question 36

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

A)glaciation
B)thermal expansion
C)melting sea ice
D)land surface uplift
E)extraction of groundwater

Question 37

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

A)longshore current.
B)breakers.
C)wave refraction.
D)tidal bore.
E)wave train.

Question 38

In deep water,a wave is not really migrating but is transferring energy through the water in simple cyclic undulations.These are called

A)waves of translation.
B)swells.
C)waves of transition.
D)tidal waves.
E)wave trains.

Question 39

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

A)maximum tidal ranges occur.
B)neap tides occur.
C)a lower tidal range occurs.
D)ebb tides occur.
E)no tidal bulges occur.

Question 40

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

A)longshore current
B)wave refraction
C)tsunami
D)rip current
E)rogue wave

Question 41

Depositional coastlines are also known as

A)barrier coastlines.
B)terraced coastlines.
C)notched coastlines.
D)emergent coastlines.
E)submergent coastlines.

Question 42

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

A)barrier spit
B)lagoon
C)tombolo
D)baymouth bar
E)beach

Question 43

Which of the following is not an example of an erosional coastal landform?

A)sea arch
B)tombolo
C)wave-cut platform
D)notched cliff
E)sea terrace

Question 44

Particles of sand,gravels,and shells that move along the shore in a process called

A)breakers.
B)longshore current.
C)beach drift.
D)translation effects.
E)wave refraction.

Question 45

Undercutting action of the sea results in

A)barrier splits.
B)sea cliffs.
C)lagoons.
D)tombolos.
E)sea terrace.

Question 46

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

A)emergent coastlines.
B)submergent coastlines.
C)wave refraction.
D)tidal bore.
E)longshore coastlines.

Question 47

A wave-cut platform is the erosional remnant of a

A)barrier island.
B)spit.
C)tombolo.
D)cliff.
E)sea stack.

Question 48

Which of the following is not an example of a depositional coastal landform?

A)wave-built terrace
B)barrier spit
C)bay barrier
D)wave-cut platform
E)sea arch

Question 49

Groins,jetties,and breakwaters are examples of shoreline protection whereas beach nourishment is an example of shoreline protection.

A)practical;impractical
B)artificial;natural
C)natural;artificial
D)soft;hard
E)hard;soft

Question 50

If the material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast grows to completely cut off the bay from an ocean,it becomes a

A)barrier spit.
B)lagoon.
C)tombolo
D)stack.
E)baymouth bar.

Question 51

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

A)barrier island.
B)lagoon.
C)barrier spit.
D)tombolo.
E)wave cut platform.

Question 52

Beaches are

A)places where sediment is stable and unchanging.
B)permanent coastal features.
C)places along the coast where sediment is reworked and deposited.
D)always composed of sand.
E)the near coastal area that ranges from the high tide point to the highest on shore waterline.

Question 53

Multiple terraces result from

A)collapse of a sea arch.
B)lowering sea level or tectonic uplift.
C)undercutting action along an emergent coastline.
D)beach drift.
E)a tsunami.

Question 54

A shallow saltwater body cut off from the ocean by a bay barrier is known as a

A)barrier spit.
B)lagoon.
C)tombolo.
D)baymouth bar.
E)wave-built terrace.

Question 55

In the movie The Poseidon Adventure,a cruise ship is overturned by a tsunami while at sea.This plot is not realistic because

A)tsunamis do not have the energy to overturn a ship of that size.
B)tsunamis do not occur in the open ocean.
C)tsunamis do not form high waves while in the open ocean.
D)the tsunami in the movie didn't occur in a tectonically active area.
E)the tsunami in the movie occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean,where tsunamis do not occur.

Question 56

An earthquake,a submarine landslide,or an eruption of an undersea volcano is capable of producing a

A)tsunami.
B)tidal wave.
C)slow-moving giant swell.
D)wave in the harbor.
E)breaker.

Question 57

The artificial replacement of sand along a beach is called

A)groins.
B)beach nourishment.
C)jetties.
D)breakwater.
E)beach drift.

Question 58

Human intervention along a coastline intended to interrupt beach drift can include all of the following except

A)tombolos.
B)jetties.
C)breakwaters.
D)groins.
E)beach nourishment.

Question 59

Interfering with the littoral drift of sand These features,here from Lake Michigan,disrupt sediment movement along a coast.

A)breakwaters
B)groins
C)jetties
D)tombolos
E)drift

Question 60

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

A)its energy level increases.
B)its wavelength shortens.
C)the height of the surf is added to the height of the tsunami.
D)the coastline is typically lower than sea level.
E)of the Coriolis force.

Question 61

Coral and zooxanthellae have a reciprocal relationship in which the zooxanthellae perform photosynthesis,providing the coral with nutrition and helping with the calcification process.In return,the coral provide the algae with nutrients.This is an example of a(n)relationship.

A)parasitic
B)opportunistic
C)symbiotic
D)predator/prey
E)allelopathic

Question 62

What are the factors responsible for tides? Describe the conditions that lead to neap and spring tides.

Question 63

Describe the three main vertical zones of the ocean.

Question 64

When coral expel their own nutrient-supplying algae,a phenomena called often follows.

A)bleaching
B)symbiosis
C)massive coral mortality (mcm)
D)coloration
E)reef deterioration

Question 65

The largest oil spill in U.S.history was

A)Exxon-Valdez,1989.
B)Belle Fourche,2016.
C)Ocean Eagle,1968.
D)African Queen,1958.
E)Deepwater Horizon,2010.

Question 66

Threats to mangrove swamps include all of the following except

A)overharvesting.
B)pollution from agricultural runoff.
C)storm surges.
D)climate change.
E)mangrove planting.

Question 67

Describe the physical composition of seawater.

Question 68

Describe the process of wave motion.

Question 69

What accounts for the coastal straightening and the formation of a longshore current?

Question 70

Planting mangroves helps

A)protect corals only.
B)restore marine and terrestrial habitat only.
C)protect against tsunami damage only.
D)protect corals and restore marine and terrestrial habitat.
E)protect corals,restore marine and terrestrial habitat,and protect against tsunami damage.

Question 71

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

A)a barrier spit is connected to the mainland,whereas a barrier island is not.
B)barrier spits are anthropogenic,modeled after natural barrier islands.
C)a barrier spit is a depositional feature that connects the barrier island to the mainland.
D)one of regional terminology,a barrier island and a barrier spit are the same thing.
E)a barrier island is a depositional coastal feature,while a barrier split is an erosional coastal feature.

Question 72

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

A)polyp;calcium carbonate
B)polyp;silica
C)algae;calcium carbonate
D)algae;silica
E)zooxanthellae;bicarbonate

Question 73

Barrier islands make sites for real estate development because .

A)good;they provide excellent scenery
B)good;they are made of rock and are quite stable
C)poor;they are unstable and often mobile
D)poor;they can be overrun by storm surges
E)poor;they are unstable and often mobile and they can be overrun by storm surges

Question 74

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

A)10
B)25
C)50
D)70
E)90

Question 75

Which of the following is not a cause of the ejection of nutrient-providing algae from coral?

A)pollution only
B)sedimentation only
C)oceanic acidification only
D)warming sea-surface temperatures only
E)pollution,sedimentation,acidification,and warming temperatures

Question 76

Long,narrow depositional features of sand that form offshore roughly parallel to the coast are called

A)tombolos.
B)barrier beaches.
C)baymouth bar.
D)groins.
E)tidal inlet.

Question 77

Discuss a how a tsunami is formed,how it behaves in the open ocean,and how it behaves when it contacts the shore.Include its physical characteristics,travel speed and pattern,and nature of impact with land.

Question 78

An atoll is approximately in shape because it forms .

A)circular;around sea stacks
B)circular;around submerged volcanic islands
C)linear;along barrier islands
D)linear;along continental shorelines
E)rectilinear;geologic faults

Question 79

Large,lithified formations of calcium carbonate formed from both living and skeletal coral colonies are called

A)atolls.
B)coral reefs.
C)barrier islands.
D)tombolos.
E)zooxanthellae.

Question 80

The sinuous,branching channels that characterize a salt marsh result from

A)animal paths through the marsh.
B)storm tracks.
C)manmade drainage canals.
D)the ebb and flow of tides.
E)tree branches diverting the flow of streams.