Question 1

Over time, shorelines

Accepted Answer

Shorelines can change over time due to various factors such as sea level change, sediment deposition, erosion, and human activities. As a result, shorelines may move seaward or landward. While they may maintain the same basic outline, minor features can vary and their overall shape can be altered. Therefore, option D is the most accurate choice.

Question 2

A swimmer caught in a rip current should

Accepted Answer

Swimming along the shore helps the swimmer escape the narrow rip current, allowing them to then swim back to shore safely.

Question 3

Figure 19.4 
-Refer to Figure 19.4. Which of the following conclusions cannot be made from the given information?

Accepted Answer

The information in Figure 19.4 only shows that the distance that a wave moves an object back and forth as it passes decreases as the object gets closer to the bottom of the wave. It does not provide any information about the distance increasing as the object gets closer to the bottom of the wave.

Question 4

Humans build walls perpendicular to the shoreline called

Accepted Answer

Groins are walls that are built perpendicular to the shoreline to trap sand and prevent erosion. Spits are long narrow ridges of sand that extend from the shore into the water. Baymouth bars are sandbars that form at the entrance to a bay or harbor. Berms are ridges of sand and sediment that run parallel to the shoreline. Out of these options, groins are the only structures that fit the description of a wall built perpendicular to the shoreline.

Question 5

Which factor does not affect wave height?

Accepted Answer

Wave height is influenced by the local depth of the ocean, the velocity of the wind, and the duration for which the wind blows. However, the direction of the wind relative to the wave direction does not directly affect the height of the waves.

Question 6

Which is not a characteristic of a tsunami?

Accepted Answer

Tsunamis are characterized by a series of waves, not just one or two.

Question 7

Ripples in sand caused by elliptical wave motion tend to

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ripples in sand caused by elliptical wave...

Question 8

The boundary between the steep part and the flat part of a beach is called

Accepted Answer

The berm crest is the boundary between the steep part (beach face) and the flat part of a beach. It marks the highest point on a beach where sediment has been deposited by wave action.

Question 9

Irregularities in coastal outlines are least affected by

Accepted Answer

The age of rock does not have a direct impact on the irregularities in coastal outlines. Coastal erosion and other geological processes may still occur regardless of the age of the rock. Joints, bedding planes, and rock strength, on the other hand, can all affect the way a coastline is shaped and eroded over time.

Question 10

Evaluate the following statement. "Beaches are often found at headlands."

Accepted Answer

Beaches are more commonly formed in bays where the water movement is less energetic, allowing sand and sediments to accumulate, rather than on headlands which are subject to stronger wave action that tends to erode rather than build up beaches.

Question 11

What is beach drift?

Accepted Answer

Beach drift refers to the movement of beach sediment due to the swash (the movement of water up the beach after a wave breaks) and backwash (the water flowing back down the beach toward the sea). This process causes sediment to move along the beach in a zigzag pattern.

Question 12

Which feature is most likely to be exposed only at low tide?

Accepted Answer

Wave-cut platforms are most likely to be exposed at low tide because they are formed by the erosion of cliff bases by waves, creating a flat area that is often submerged at high tide and exposed when the tide recedes.

Question 13

Which type of energy is least involved with waves crashing on a beach and retreating back to sea?

Accepted Answer

Frictional energy is least involved because waves primarily involve mechanical energy (movement of water), gravitational energy (due to the pull of gravity), and sound energy (noise of waves). Frictional energy is not a primary factor in wave motion.

Question 14

Which is not a change that waves experience as the sea becomes shallower?

Accepted Answer

As the sea becomes shallower, the velocity of waves actually decreases due to increased friction and shallower water depth impeding wave movement. Thus, option A is not a change that waves experience as the sea becomes shallower. The other changes listed - increased wave height, narrower crests than troughs, and decreased wavelength - are all observed in shallower waters.

Question 15

Evaluate this statement. "Victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, might have been saved if they realized that an extremely low water level at the shore was the trough of a huge wave."

Accepted Answer

The statement is true because recognizing the sudden retreat of water as a sign of an impending tsunami could have allowed people to seek higher ground before the wave arrived.

Question 16

Which factor is not affected by a strong wind that blows for an extended time over deep water?

Accepted Answer

The strong wind that blows for an extended time over deep water affects wave height, wavelength, and wave period as it transfers energy to the ocean surface. However, it does not affect wave position, which is primarily determined by the bathymetry or topography of the seafloor.

Question 17

A hook shape may form on a spit because of

Accepted Answer

A hook shape on a spit can form due to wave refraction. When waves approach the spit at an angle, they are refracted and begin to bend around the spit. This causes erosion on the outer side of the bend and deposition on the inner side, which results in the hook shape. Rip currents, wave deflection, and erosion may contribute to the overall development of the spit, but they are not the main cause of the hook shape.

Question 18

If the following sand grain minerals were mixed together, which one would get deposited on a beach most often because of its density?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If the following sand grain minerals were...

Question 19

A ________ is described as the elapsed time between the passage of successive wave troughs past a stationary point.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the definition of wave period, which is the time it takes for a wave to complete one full cycle (i.e. one wave crest and one wave trough passing a stationary point). A wave drop does not exist as a defined term in wave theory. Wavelength refers to the distance between two successive wave crests or wave troughs, not the elapsed time. Wave height refers to the vertical distance between the wave crest and the wave trough.

Question 20

Which statement about tsunami is false?

Accepted Answer

Tsunami actually slow down as they approach the shore due to the decreasing depth of the water, which causes them to increase in height.

Quiz 19: Shorelines: Changing Landscapes Where Land Meets Sea