Deck 15: Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

Question 1

Using the figure below,which of the following lists correctly identifies the seafloor landforms G,C,and F?

A) G = abyssal plain,C = mid-ocean ridge,F = trench
B) G = abyssal plain,C = continental rise,F = trench
C) G = continental shelf,C = abyssal plain,F = continental rise
D) G = abyssal plain,C = volcanic arc,F = trench

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is the term for the global-scale slow movement of ocean water masses,in which cold,salty surface water sinks to the seafloor and warm equatorial water moves toward the poles?

A) gyre circulation
B) upwelling
C) thermohaline circulation
D) Ekman transport

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following processes can increase the salinity of seawater?

A) evaporation
B) rainfall
C) adding water from rivers
D) melting of glaciers

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the term for the sharp decrease in temperature in the ocean with depth from the surface common in tropical and subtropical oceans?

A) temperature minimum zone
B) halocline
C) thermocline
D) thermohaline circulation

Question 5

In which type of shoreline are broad tidal mudflats most likely to occur?

A) along coasts with gentle slopes and low topography
B) along steep rocky shorelines
C) along shorelines with very low tidal range
D) along shorelines with fringing coral reefs

Question 6

The geographic variation in depth to the ocean floor is termed ________.

A) orogeny
B) bathymetry
C) sonar
D) marine geology

Question 7

Major oceanic surface currents travel ________.

A) parallel to the prevailing wind direction in a region
B) in direct opposition to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect
C) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect
D) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Doppler effect

Question 8

Which feature of the seafloor is a tectonic plate boundary?

A) abyssal plains
B) continental shelves
C) mid-ocean ridge
D) continental rises

Question 9

Near which feature on the seafloor would you be most likely to find fracture zones characterized by oceanic transform faults?

A) within A
B) cutting through F
C) linking segments of C
D) below E

Question 10

Compared with the continental crust,the oceanic crust is ________.

A) more dense
B) less dense
C) about the same density
D) more variable in its density

Question 11

Compared with the continental lithosphere,the oceanic lithosphere ________.

A) is thicker
B) is lower in elevation
C) is older
D) is less dense

Question 12

The picture below shows the two tidal bulges created in the oceans by the gravitational attraction of the Moon,from the perspective of looking down at the Earth from the North Pole.Where is low tide occurring in this picture?

A) locations B and D
B) locations A,B,C and D
C) locations A and C
D) location B

Question 13

What is the average percentage of dissolved salt in seawater?

A) 1.5 percent
B) 3.5 percent
C) 5.5 percent
D) 6.5 percent

Question 14

Winds and the Coriolis Effect can cause deep,often nutrient-rich ocean water to rise to the surface in a process called

A) gyre circulation.
B) upwelling.
C) thermohaline circulation.
D) Ekman transport.

Question 15

In which tectonic settings are broad,shallow continental shelves most likely to be found?

A) transform boundaries along fracture zones
B) mid-ocean ridges
C) passive margins with no plate boundary
D) subduction zones

Question 16

At the equatorial ocean basins,sea surface temperatures may reach 25°C or greater.What is the range of temperatures for the seafloor,approximately 4-5 km below the ocean's surface?

A) slightly warmer (33°C)
B) about the same temperature (25°C)
C) cool (10°C-15°C)
D) near freezing (1°C-2°C)

Question 17

The shallowest portions of an ocean found along the margins of continents are the ________.

A) abyssal plains
B) continental rises
C) continental shelves
D) continental slopes

Question 18

Approximately what percentage of the Earth's surface is covered with ocean water?

A) 30 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 70 percent
D) 85 percent

Question 19

The width of the intertidal zone depends on the __________.

A) tidal flat
B) tidal bore
C) tidal range
D) ebb tide

Question 20

How does tidal range vary among different coastlines around the globe?

A) The tidal range is the same everywhere.
B) Tidal range is greater in the Northern Hemisphere.
C) Some places have little or no tidal range; others have a tidal range of many meters.
D) Tidal range is greatest along the Equator and gets lower toward the North and South Poles.

Question 21

What is a beach?

A) a shoreline composed entirely of sand grains
B) a gently sloping fringe of sediment along a shore
C) a synonym for a shoreline of any kind
D) any shoreline where there is sediment deposition occurring

Question 22

The major surface currents on the Earth that display a circle-like path and follow the ocean basin margins are known as __________.

A) eddies
B) lochs
C) pools
D) gyres

Question 23

If a beach is in an east-west orientation and the waves are approaching the shore from the southwest,as shown in this figure,in which direction will the longshore current be moving?

A) to the south
B) to the east
C) to the southeast
D) to the west

Question 24

The size of waves in the open ocean depends on

A) water depth.
B) wind speed and fetch.
C) wind direction.
D) phases of the Moon.

Question 25

Because of wave refraction,erosion along an irregular coastline is ________.

A) evenly distributed along the length of the coast
B) concentrated along the headlands
C) greatest in bays and embayments
D) the same as it would be along a more regularly shaped coastline

Question 26

The long finger-like bays with deep water bounded by steep cliffs that characterize fjords were created by the erosive action of ___________.

A) hurricanes
B) rivers
C) deep ocean currents
D) glaciers

Question 27

In the figure below,which letters represent the wave's crest and trough,respectively?

A) A and B
B) E and D
C) C and D
D) C and B

Question 28

Swamps and marshes are examples of __________.

A) estuaries
B) coastal wetlands
C) fjords
D) swashes

Question 29

Surface currents flow __________ in the Northern Hemisphere and __________ in the Southern Hemisphere.

A) counterclockwise; clockwise
B) upward; downward
C) clockwise; counterclockwise
D) equatorward; poleward

Question 30

Which of the following features is characteristic of a rocky coast?

A) sand spits
B) sea stacks
C) lagoons
D) accretionary prisms

Question 31

As waves approach the shore,they ________.

A) refract so as to impact the shore in a nearly parallel manner
B) refract so as to impact the shore nearly perpendicular to the shoreline
C) reflect directly backward from the angle at which they approach the shoreline
D) are reflected off the shoreline but never refract

Question 32

In the figure below,which letters represent the wave height and wavelength,respectively?

A) B and E
B) E and D
C) C and E
D) B and C

Question 33

In the figure below,which way is the wave moving?

A) to the right
B) to the left
C) back and forth
D) The wave is stationary.

Question 34

A coral reef would MOST likely be found

A) in an expansive,warm-water tropical tidal flat.
B) in clear,shallow waters at high latitudes.
C) in the shallow waters surrounding a tropical volcanic island.
D) along the coasts of active margins.

Question 35

Beaches are constantly moving in the direction of ________.

A) the longshore current
B) the open ocean
C) downwelling
D) the Coriolis effect

Question 36

In shallow water,waves become breakers because________________.

A) the base of the wave speeds up compared to the top of the wave
B) wind speed increases closer to shore
C) the base of the wave is slowed by friction with the seafloor,but the top is not
D) winds push on the tops of the waves

Question 37

Because ocean currents carry heat,they play a large role in

A) plate tectonics.
B) global climate change.
C) seafloor minerals.
D) tidal range.

Question 38

Which of the following is the BEST example of an organic coast?

A) gently sloping,well-developed beach
B) wave-cut platform
C) shoreline that has just received beach nourishment
D) shallow coral reef

Question 39

When the sea level rises,an ocean may flood a former river valley,producing a nearshore body of water of mixed and variable salinity termed a(n)________.

A) atoll
B) lagoon
C) estuary
D) jetty

Question 40

A(n)__________ is a type of offshore sand bar that forms due to abundant sediment supply and sits above the mean high water level.

A) marine terrace
B) coral reef
C) barrier island
D) estuary

Question 41

Which of the following scenarios is most likely to result in an emergent coast?

A) global sea level rise
B) uplift associated with active margin tectonics
C) subsidence of the shoreline caused by near-shore removal of groundwater
D) the formation of a near-shore coral reef

Question 42

A coast that grows seaward as a result of regular sedimentation is a(n)__________.

A) active continental margin
B) erosional coast
C) accretionary coast
D) coastal plain

Question 43

Contrast emergent and submergent coasts.List at least one reason why coasts may become emergent or submergent.

Question 44

Tropical storms and cyclones can cause significant coastal flooding called ________ when winds push water onto shore and low pressure causes the sea surface to rise.

A) Ekman transport
B) cyclonic circulation
C) storm nourishment
D) storm surge

Question 45

How is an erosional coast different from an accretionary coast?

Question 46

Sediment supply cannot keep up with the rate at which waves and currents wash it away along a(n)______ coast.

A) emergent
B) erosional
C) active margin
D) organic

Question 47

What is the average salinity of the oceans? By how much does ocean salinity vary? What factors are responsible for higher and lower salinity in different places? What are the main components of seawater salinity?

Question 48

Why is it a bad idea to build on barrier islands?

Question 49

The process of reef bleaching occurs when __________.

A) reefs lose their color and die in response to warming of seawater
B) reefs lose their color following sedimentation due to a large storm
C) reefs are exposed to too much sunlight
D) overfishing causes a decrease in species diversity

Question 50

Which of the following can result in eustatic sea level rise?

A) local subsidence due to sediment compaction
B) a decline in seafloor spreading rates
C) melting of glaciers and ice sheets
D) reverse faulting along a subduction zone

Question 51

Draw a representation of the motion of an ocean wave in cross-section.Your illustration should include labels for the following: amplitude,wavelength,wave height,wave base,crest,trough,and directional arrows.

Question 52

Label the landforms of ocean basins shown in the image below using the following word bank.

Question 53

Describe how the motion of a moving body,such as an ocean current,is affected by the Coriolis Effect in the northern hemisphere,and how this creates mid-ocean gyres.

Question 54

Which of the following is true of beach nourishment as a solution to coastal erosion?

A) It is a permanent solution that will protect an erosional beach.
B) The flux of sediment from beach nourishment will change a beach from erosional to accretionary.
C) It is a temporary,but inexpensive,solution to coastal erosion.
D) It is costly and only provides a temporary solution to coastal erosion.

Question 55

Describe how the temperature seawater changes with water depth in the ocean near the Equator and contrast this with changes in temperature near the Earth's Poles.

Question 56

Structures-like jetties,groins,and breakwaters-that are designed to prevent beach erosion __________.

A) are permanent solutions that protect erosional beaches
B) must be built in conjunction with beach nourishment
C) are temporary solutions that decrease beach erosion in some places and increase it in others
D) have the added benefit of allowing organic coasts to develop

Question 57

Along beaches,groins have ________.

A) solved the problem of beach drift
B) increased erosion rates immediately up-current from the groin
C) increased erosion rates immediately down-current from the groin
D) increased depositional rates immediately down-current from the groin

Question 58

Global climate change is causing sea level rise around the globe.This is an example of ______ sea level rise.

A) eustatic
B) subsidence-related
C) local
D) erosion-related

Question 59

Why do tides occur? What is the driving force and what factors contribute to this force? Why do most places experience two high tides and two low tides each day?

Question 60

Describe one way humans have tried to mitigate beach erosion.What were the short-term and long-term results of this action?