Deck 15: The Dynamic Ocean

Question 1

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

A) spit
B) jetty
C) groin
D) sea stack

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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

A) groin
B) beach nourishment
C) seawall
D) all of these

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

A) equal to one-half the wavelength
B) equal to the wavelength
C) twice as great as the wavelength
D) three times as great as the wavelength

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The movement of sand parallel to the shore ________.

A) is created by waves approaching at an oblique angle
B) may create spits
C) is achieved by longshore currents
D) all of the above

Question 5

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

A) an estuary
B) a sea stack
C) elevated marine terrace
D) a tombolo

Question 6

The zigzag movement of sand grains along a beach is ________.

A) caused by obliquely breaking waves
B) called beach drift
C) very unusual and seldom occurs
D) both A and B

Question 7

A flat, bench-like surface cut in rock along a coast is a ________.

A) sea stack
B) tombolo
C) wave-cut platform
D) spit

Question 8

Fetch is ________.

A) a method of shoreline erosion control
B) the distance between the trough of a wave and the still water level
C) the circular pattern made by water particles when a wave passes
D) none of these

Question 9

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

A) spit
B) estuary
C) tombolo
D) sea arch

Question 10

When waves reach shallow water, they are often bent and tend to become parallel to the shore. This process is termed ________.

A) oscillation
B) refraction
C) translation
D) reflection

Question 11

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

A) tidal current
B) salinity current
C) beach drift
D) longshore current

Question 12

A sandbar that completely crosses a bay, sealing it off from the open ocean is a ________.

A) sea stack
B) tombolo
C) coastal barrier
D) none of these

Question 13

Which one of the following structures is built to protect boats from large breaking waves?

A) jetty
B) groin
C) breakwater
D) seawall

Question 14

One result of wave refraction is that wave energy is concentrated ________.

A) on headlands projecting into the water
B) in the recessed areas between headlands
C) in estuaries
D) none of the above

Question 15

An isolated remnant of wave erosion is a ________.

A) spit
B) jetty
C) groin
D) sea stack

Question 16

A sand ridge connecting an island to the mainland or to another island is a ________.

A) jetty
B) tombolo
C) breakwater
D) sea stack

Question 17

Which of the following is correct regarding a wave in the open ocean?

A) Water particles move in an almost circular path.
B) Such waves are called waves of oscillation.
C) Waves do not exist in the open ocean - only near the coast..
D) None of these.

Question 18

The height, length, and period of a wave depend upon ________.

A) the length of time the wind has blown
B) the wind speed
C) the fetch
D) all of these

Question 19

Which of the following is a tidal current?

A) spring tide
B) flood tide
C) ebb tide
D) both flood and ebb tide

Question 20

Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay are ________.

A) associated with a submergent coast
B) former river valleys that were flooded by a rise in sea level
C) excellent examples of large estuaries
D) all of the above

Question 21

How can crashing, collapsing storm waves generate explosive forces and stresses on rocky outcrops and manmade structures?

A) Oscillating, refractive waves shake the hard materials into small fragments.
B) Pressurized water and compressed air are driven into cracks and fissures.
C) Backwash breaks out blocks of rock or concrete and carries them out to deeper water.
D) all of the above

Question 22

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. breakwater B. groin C. seawall D. beach nourishment

Question 23

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. wave height B. wave period C. wave refraction D. fetch

Question 24

The energy that drives surface ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream comes from ________.

A) salinity variations
B) Coriolis effect
C) prevailing winds
D) density differences

Question 25

Fetch refers to ________.

A) the beachfront area where rapid erosion is taking place
B) a large expanse of open water over which the wind blows and generates waves
C) the rotational movements of water particles beneath a passing surface wave
D) ocean currents moving parallel to the beach

Question 26

Large estuaries are more common on a(n) ________ coastline.

A) submergent
B) emergent
C) stable
D) retreating

Question 27

Matching. Match the tide with the appropriate description.
A. neap tides B. spring tides
Sun, Moon, and Earth lie on a straight line in space

Question 28

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. wave-cut cliff B. wave-cut platform C. sea arch D. spit

Question 29

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. spring tide B. flood tide C. neap tide D. tidal flat

Question 30

Erosional retreat of a ________ leads to enlargement and extension of a wave-cut platform in the inland direction.

A) wave-cut tombolo
B) wave-cut cliff
C) wave-cut barrier beach
D) offshore, wave-cut, breakwater bar

Question 31

Matching. Match the tide with the appropriate description.
A. neap tides B. spring tides
highest high tides and lowest low tides of the month

Question 32

Because of the Coriolis effect, surface ocean currents are deflected to the ________ of their path of motion in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) right
B) left
C) west
D) east

Question 33

The daily tidal range is GREATEST during ________ tide.

A) spring
B) ebb
C) neap
D) none of these

Question 34

The daily tidal range is LEAST during ________ tide.

A) spring
B) ebb
C) neap
D) none of these

Question 35

A ________ is an isolated remnant of bedrock standing above a wave-cut platform.

A) sea spit
B) sea rampart
C) sea span
D) sea stack

Question 36

Matching. Match the tide with the appropriate description.
A. neap tides B. spring tides
Sun, Moon, and Earth form a right triangle in space

Question 37

Matching. Match the tide with the appropriate description.
A. neap tides B. spring tides
lowest high tides and highest low tides of the month

Question 38

A poleward-moving ocean current is ________.

A) warm
B) cold
C) warm only in the Northern Hemisphere
D) warm only in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 39

Because of the Coriolis effect, surface ocean currents are deflected to the ________ of their path of motion in the Southern Hemisphere.

A) right
B) left
C) west
D) east

Question 40

Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
A. sea stack B. bar C. tombolo D. barrier island

Question 41

The Coriolis effect causes ocean currents in the Southern Hemisphere to be deflected to the right of their path of motion.

Question 42

The addition of sand to a beach has proven to be an economical solution to beach erosion problems.

Question 43

As the tide rises, water flows in toward the shore as the ebb tide.

Question 44

The turbulent water created by breaking waves is called surf.

Question 45

A poleward-moving ocean current is considered a warm current.

Question 46

Although the Sun influences the tides, its effect is considerably less than the effect of the Moon.

Question 47

Waves in the open ocean are called waves of oscillation.

Question 48

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

Question 49

A baymouth bar is a manmade feature designed to control wave erosion.

Question 50

Longshore sand transport and longshore currents depend on waves impinging parallel to a shoreline.

Question 51

The ________ is the distance the wind has traveled across open water.

Question 52

Tidal flats are submerged during ebb tide.

Question 53

Surface ocean circulation is also called thermohaline circulation.

Question 54

The Gulf Coast lacks barrier islands.

Question 55

Groins are constructed for the purpose of maintaining or widening beaches that are losing sand.

Question 56

Neap tides occur about the time of the first quarter and third quarter phases of the Moon.

Question 57

The largest daily tidal range occurs in association with spring tides.

Question 58

Elevated wave-cut platforms in Southern California are evidence that this coastal area is emergent.

Question 59

The energy that creates surface ocean currents comes from prevailing winds.

Question 60

The Coriolis effect is greatest at high latitudes and diminishes toward the equator.

Question 61

When a wave breaks it changes from being a wave of oscillation to being a wave of ________.

Question 62

What type of current is illustrated in the diagram below?

Question 63

Structures called ________ are built parallel to the shoreline to protect boats from the force of large breaking waves.

Question 64

Shorelines are temporary geologic and topographic features. Explain this statement.

Question 65

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) ________.

Question 66

The ________ effect causes ocean currents to be deflected to the right of their path of motion in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 67

When caves on opposite sides of a headland unite, a(n) ________ results.

Question 68

A variety of techniques and efforts are used to stabilize shorelines throughout the world. Are all of these efforts only temporary measures or are any of them permanent? Also, does urbanization and development of coastal areas always contribute to shoreline erosion? Explain.

Question 69

Large circular-moving currents of water within an ocean basin are called ________.

Question 70

Currents within the surf zone that flow parallel to the shore are known as ________ currents.

Question 71

A ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland or to another island is a(n) ________.

Question 72

Low and narrow offshore ridges of sand that parallel the coast are called ________.

Question 73

Because deep ocean circulation is driven largely by variations in water temperature and salinity, it is also called ________ circulation.

Question 74

As a deep-water wave enters shallow water, the wave slows down and rotates toward being parallel with the shoreline. This process is known as ________.

Question 75

Label the basic parts of a wave on the diagram below.

Question 76

Briefly discuss the movement of sand on a beach environment. Include those factors, both natural and human-induced, that affect sand movement.

Question 77

The low-lying zones that are alternately covered by water during flood tide and exposed following ebb tide are called ________.

Question 78

The rising of cold water from deeper layers to replace warmer surface water is called ________.

Question 79

What term denotes a sand bar built across the former mouth of an estuary, separating it from the open sea?