Deck 20: Coastal Processes and Terrain

Question 1

Generally, ________ waves are gentle phenomena.

A) oscillation
B) translation
C) seismic sea
D) forced
E) breaker

Answer 1

A

Question 2

If you were floating in the middle of the ocean and a wave passed by, your motion would be ________.

A) in the direction of the wave
B) in the direction opposite to that of the wave
C) up and down
D) first in the direction of the wave and then in the direction opposite to that of the wave
E) at right angles to the wave motion

Answer 2

C

Question 3

________ are the most prominent erosional features created by waves.

A) Beaches
B) Spits
C) Estuaries
D) Headlands
E) Barrier islands

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The cascading forward motion of breaking waves as they rush upon the shore is called ________.

A) an oscillation wave
B) swash
C) backwash
D) wave refraction
E) a littoral current

Question 5

Which of the following coastline EFFECTS is best matched with a CAUSE?

A) Sand transport : Longshore currents
B) Significant erosion : Tides
C) Beach sand : Ocean bottom erosion
D) Cliffs : Shorelines of submergence
E) Barrier islands : Rising sea level

Question 6

The most effective coastal erosion is accomplished by ________.

A) wind
B) abrasion
C) hydraulic pounding
D) compressed air
E) chemical action

Question 7

The vertical distance from the still water level to the crest of a wave is called the ________.

A) trough
B) amplitude
C) oscillation
D) swash
E) refraction

Question 8

Which of the following is most closely associated with the compression of air in coastline rocks?

A) abrasion
B) growth of salt crystals
C) hydraulic pounding
D) pneumatic action
E) coral reef formation

Question 9

The distance between one wave crest and the next is known as the ________.

A) trough
B) amplitude
C) fetch
D) wave length
E) oscillation

Question 10

Which of the following is most important to shoreline erosion?

A) air forced into cracks in rocks
B) abrasion by water-carried materials
C) solution of rocks
D) crystallization of salts in rock crevices and pores
E) waves

Question 11

The single most important force in shaping coastal topography is the ________.

A) waves
B) longshore current
C) tidal movement
D) ice push
E) stream outflow

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a shaper of the oceanic coastlines?

A) long-term changes in the water level
B) tidal movements
C) waves
D) poisonous blooms of algae
E) ice push

Question 13

Spray from breaking waves has been found to move at more than ________ miles an hour.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 70
D) 150
E) 300

Question 14

The largest storm waves stir the subsurface water down to the ________.

A) depth of tens of millimeters
B) depth of tens of meters
C) depth of tens of kilometers
D) bottom, however deep it is
E) depth at which the temperature goes below freezing

Question 15

Which of the following is most closely associated with waves of oscillation?

A) waves of perturbation
B) tsunamis
C) surface waves on deep water
D) backwash
E) swash

Question 16

A wave will "break" because ________.

A) the bottom interferes with its oscillatory motion
B) the wind increases its speed near shorelines
C) the density of water increases closer to shore
D) the sediment load of water is greater near the shore
E) of random molecular motion in wave forms

Question 17

The force of ________, in conjunction with the wind, is the cause of most waves.

A) gravity
B) pressure
C) temperature
D) Coriolis effect
E) Friction

Question 18

Most waves are generated by ________.

A) tides
B) wind
C) seismic activity
D) coastal refraction
E) vulcanism

Question 19

Waves become ________ when they travel beyond the influence of the wind that generates them.

A) higher
B) breakers
C) swell
D) forced
E) tsunamis

Question 20

Waves generated by wind are also known as ________.

A) waves of oscillation
B) waves of translation
C) trough waves
D) forced waves
E) backwash

Question 21

The origin of tsunamis is associated with ________.

A) tides
B) storms
C) undersea tectonic events
D) wind
E) pressure gradients

Question 22

Which of the following is most important in creating landforms along lake shorelines?

A) tides
B) ice push
C) organic secretion
D) tsunamis
E) animals

Question 23

The phenomenon of waves changing direction as they approach the shoreline is known as ________.

A) submergence
B) eruption
C) magic
D) refraction
E) carbonation

Question 24

As a wave approaches an irregular shoreline, one portion of the wave reaches shallow waters sooner than other portions and is thus slowed down. This slowing down causes the wave line to bend and the bending is called ________.

A) a tsunami
B) reflection
C) refraction
D) misdirection
E) oscillation

Question 25

Tides ________.

A) produce currents scouring the bottom
B) are significant on large lakes
C) are unpredictable in occurrence
D) are of approximately equal amplitude on all seacoasts
E) do not occur in estuaries

Question 26

________are most closely associated with a change in the volume of ocean water?

A) Tectonic forces
B) Eustatic forces
C) Erosional forces
D) Tidal forces
E) Gravitational forces

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT associated with tides?

A) gravitational influence of the Moon
B) gravitation influence of the Sun
C) large amounts of erosion on most coasts
D) two tidal cycles per day on most coasts
E) greatest erosion along shallow coasts

Question 28

As they travel on the open sea, tsunamis ________.

A) have very short wavelengths
B) can be as tall as 30 meters
C) become taller and taller
D) are inconspicuous
E) move at speeds of 5-10 kilometers per hour

Question 29

________ occurs first in the evolution of a single ocean wave.

A) A wave of translation
B) Swash
C) Backwash
D) A breaker
E) A wave of oscillation

Question 30

Seismic sea waves may also be referred to as ________.

A) tsunamis
B) breakers
C) waves of translation
D) forced waves
E) tombolos

Question 31

Compared to today, sea level 125,0000 years ago (in an interglacial part of the Pleistocene) was ________.

A) lower
B) higher
C) about the same
D) lower by more than 100 meters
E) static (all the water was frozen)

Question 32

________ is the location of the highest tides in the world.

A) Canada
B) Tahiti
C) The People's Republic of China
D) South Africa
E) Greece

Question 33

In the last few thousand years, sea level changes have resulted from all but ________.

A) submergence of land masses
B) emergence of land masses
C) deglaciation
D) eustatic changes
E) the change of the total volume of water in the Earth system

Question 34

Which of the following is most closely related to eustatic forces?

A) tides
B) longshore currents
C) organic secretions
D) waves
E) a change in sea level

Question 35

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Sea level is higher today than during the Pleistocene.
B) Sea level responds to worldwide ice ages.
C) Sea level rise has caused some submergence effects on almost all the present coasts.
D) Sea level is higher today than at any time in Earth's history.
E) Sea level will rise if the global warming scenario is correct.

Question 36

Where are tides significant agents in coastal erosion?

A) on barrier islands
B) along shorelines of submergence
C) in narrow bays
D) on the ocean bottom
E) equally on all coastlines

Question 37

The oceanic tides rise and fall in a rhythmic cycle that takes place roughly once every ________ hours.

A) 4
B) 6
C) 12
D) 18
E) 24

Question 38

Which of the following is TRUE of tides?

A) They are unpredictable for most all areas on Earth.
B) There is one cycle per day.
C) They have small effects on landforms.
D) Daily ranges cannot exceed two meters.
E) They are caused by Earth's rotation.

Question 39

The disastrous tsunami of 2004 ________.

A) affected the Indian Ocean
B) was well predicted
C) would have been worse except for the tsunami warning system
D) killed approximately 1,000 people
E) could never happen again

Question 40

Concerning tsunamis, which of the following is FALSE?

A) They are associated with earthquakes.
B) They are very tall in the open sea.
C) They move rapidly.
D) They can devastate coastlines.
E) They have very long wavelengths.

Question 41

A ________ transforms a bay into a lagoon.

A) mudflat
B) tombolo
C) baymouth bar
D) beach
E) berm

Question 42

Beach sand moves along the shore in a movement of materials called ________.

A) barrier bar deposition
B) spit organization
C) beach drifting
D) tombolo genesis
E) karst solution

Question 43

Stream outflow is important to coastal landscapes because streams provide ________ to the coastal environment.

A) chemically fresh water
B) sediments
C) freshwater fish
D) additions to the volume of seawater
E) organic material

Question 44

In what time of year do beaches get smaller?

A) spring
B) summer
C) fall
D) winter
E) At no time; there is no seasonal pattern.

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a beach area regularly covered by water?

A) the berm
B) the foreshore zone
C) the offshore zone
D) the sand
E) the mudflats

Question 46

The angle of the beach slope is controlled by ________.

A) tidal range
B) longshore drift
C) the chemical composition of sandy
D) the size of the materials
E) chance

Question 47

An island connected to the coastline by a sandy spit is a relatively rare occurrence called a ________.

A) baymouth bar
B) tombolo
C) fjord
D) hook
E) lagoon

Question 48

The steepest beaches tend to be those with ________.

A) the saltiest waves
B) no significant waves
C) sand
D) particles larger than sand
E) shorelines facing the Equator

Question 49

Concerning lake shores, which of the following is FALSE?

A) Coral reefs can be present.
B) Tides significantly affect coastal landform development.
C) Lake levels tend to change with time.
D) Development is by the same forces than by ocean shores.
E) Lakeshore landforms are less conspicuous than ocean shore landforms.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT associated with beaches?

A) gravel
B) cobbles
C) sand
D) clay
E) sediment

Question 51

Which of the following is a zone of active deposition of materials by waves?

A) berm
B) offshore
C) dunes
D) foreshore
E) backshore

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a type of spit?

A) tombolo
B) baymouth bar
C) offshore bar
D) hook
E) connecting bar

Question 53

Debris in seawater is usually carried ________ along the beach.

A) straight
B) in a zigzag path
C) obliquely
D) at a right angle
E) randomly

Question 54

A linear extension of sand from the shore into the ocean is a ________.

A) spit
B) lagoon
C) estuary
D) barrier island
E) terrace

Question 55

Water moving roughly parallel to the shoreline is called ________.

A) stream outflow
B) swash
C) a longshore current
D) oblique waves
E) backwash

Question 56

Coastal landform modifications are sometimes caused by a localized increase in the volume of water. The modification process is called ________.

A) melting
B) ocean currents
C) stream outflow
D) ice push
E) wave action

Question 57

In an idealized beach profile, which feature would occur at the highest elevation?

A) the berm
B) the foreshore
C) the backshore
D) the high-water line
E) the dunes

Question 58

The ________ is the area where waves break and surf action is greatest.

A) berm
B) offshore zone
C) beach
D) backshore zone
E) foreshore zone

Question 59

The most widespread of all coastal depositional features is ________.

A) the cliff
B) the bar
C) the beach
D) the spit
E) the tombolo

Question 60

The ________ is regularly covered and uncovered by the rise and fall of tides.

A) berm
B) offshore zone
C) beach
D) backshore zone
E) foreshore zone

Question 61

Which of the following has origins linked to lowered Pleistocene sea levels?

A) the presence of the large barrier islands
B) wave-cut terraces observed on today's coastlines
C) great damage done by Pleistocene tsunamis
D) the location of today's coral reefs
E) the formation of continental shelves

Question 62

A ________ is formed when converging waves deposit sand from two directions.

A) spit
B) hook
C) tombolo
D) beach
E) notch

Question 63

Which of the following categories of coastline is most closely associated with fjords?

A) emergence
B) submergence
C) convergence
D) coral
E) headland

Question 64

Along coastal cliffs, the most effective erosion takes place ________.

A) 5-10 meters above sea level
B) 2 meters above sea level
C) at sea level
D) 2 meters below sea level
E) 5-10 meters below sea level

Question 65

Almost all of the world's oceanic coastlines show evidence of ________ during the past 15,000 years.

A) submergence
B) emergence
C) long-term stability
D) isostasy
E) heavy oil pollution

Question 66

________ is the longest barrier island along the coast of the United States.

A) Santa Catalina Island
B) Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
C) Mt. Desert Island, Maine
D) Rhode Island
E) Padre Island

Question 67

On the cliff/bench/terrace coastline, the terrace consists of ________.

A) loose rocks
B) sand
C) silt
D) clay
E) lava

Question 68

Only after ________ have attained large size, do they begin to migrate toward the shore.

A) tombolos
B) barrier bars
C) wave-cut cliffs
D) spits
E) lagoons

Question 69

Over time, most coastal lagoons become ________.

A) spits
B) marshes
C) tombolos
D) terraces
E) beaches

Question 70

A(n) ________ shoreline is one with numerous estuaries.

A) emergent
B) compound
C) ria
D) coral
E) atoll

Question 71

A wave-cut platform closely resembles the letter ________.

A) L
B) T
C) V
D) U
E) C

Question 72

Which of the following coastal features does NOT belong with the others?

A) lagoon
B) mudflat
C) barrier island
D) wave-cut bench
E) spit

Question 73

The most prominent result of coastal submergence is the ________.

A) drowning of river valleys
B) formation of barrier islands
C) creation of coral reefs
D) creation of cliffs
E) destruction of estuaries

Question 74

Tectonically rising coasts are most closely associated with ________.

A) barrier islands
B) coral reefs
C) marine terraces
D) beaches
E) longshore currents

Question 75

Global warming would cause ________.

A) tectonic uplift
B) inundation of coastal plains
C) the seas to become less salty
D) global eustatic fall of sea level
E) the size of the world ocean to become slightly smaller

Question 76

The sandy barrier islands, characteristic of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, are as long as ________ kilometers.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 50
D) 500
E) 1,000

Question 77

Which of the following is most closely associated with fjords?

A) chemical erosion
B) longshore drift
C) coral
D) glaciers
E) coastal plains

Question 78

The combination of hydraulic pounding, abrasion and other forces at the base of a sea cliff produces a(n) ________.

A) notch
B) doline
C) lagoon
D) spit
E) atoll

Question 79

A coast embayed with numerous estuaries is likely to be ________.

A) a shoreline of submergence
B) a shoreline of emergence
C) a compound shoreline
D) a natural shoreline
E) associated with littoral drift

Question 80

Which location does NOT possess a fjorded coastline?

A) Chile
B) Norway
C) Alaska
D) California
E) Greenland