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chapter 7 coastal zones and processes

Terms in this set (29)

1) Ocean waves breaking on a beach are formed by
A) earthquakes.
B) wind.
C) tides.
D) passing ships.
B
2) As tides rise and fall, the portion that is regularly washed by waves is referred to as
A) beach.
B) coast.
C) beach face.
D) barrier island.
C
3) The periodic fall and rise in levels of water as a result of gravitational force of the sun and moon would result in
A) surges.
B) currents.
C) waves.
D) tides.
D
4) Littoral drift, which results in gradual sand movement down the beach in the same direction is also referred to as
A) long shore drift.
B) saltation.
C) traction.
D) the Gulf Stream.
A
5) Along an irregular coastline, areas most intensely under attack by waves are
A) recessed bays into which breakers come rolling from far at sea.
B) headlands projecting out into the sea.
C) areas down-current of piers and breakwaters.
D) None of these; all points along a given coastline are affected equally.
B
6) When waves approach a beach at an oblique angle, resulting in a lateral movement of water along the shoreline a ________ may develop.
A) delta
B) groin
C) sand dune
D) long shore current
D
7) During a storm,
A) overall water level falls due to the low air pressure associated with storms.
B) wave height increases because of strong winds.
C) dunes are typically built up by deposition of extra sediment.
D) All of the choices are correct.
B
8) When sand replenishment of a beach is undertaken,
A) the effort is considerable, but it need only be done once.
B) erosion will be halted when the new sand is firmly in place.
C) it may be important to duplicate the mineralogy and grain size of the original sand.
D) All of the choices are correct.
C
9) Hard/Structural stabilization of a beach
A) is the best method for controlling beach erosion.
B) often results in more, rather than less beach erosion.
C) is banned by the Coastal Management and Protection Act.
D) is necessary to create littoral drift.
B
10) Moving the Cape Hatteras lighthouse from its shore location inland is an example of
A) hard structural stabilization.
B) soft structural stabilization.
C) a non-structural strategy.
D) increasing wave base.
C
11) Causes of shifts in relative elevation of land and sea along a coast include
A) tectonic movements.
B) glacial loading.
C) melting of ice caps.
D) All of the choices are correct.
D
12) When sea level falls or land rises, ________ may be formed.
A) deltas
B) wave-cut platforms
C) drowned valleys
D) fjords
B
13) Beach replenishment projects that add sand to eroding beaches
A) are a permanent solution to beach erosion that will never have to be repeated.
B) must match the grain size of the sand, because finer sand will be carried away quickly by the ocean currents and coarser sand could result in a steeper beach face.
C) are fairly inexpensive.
D) are a hard/structural approach to beach stabilization.
B
14) Sand may be supplied to a beach by
A) littoral drift along the coast.
B) dunes at the back of the beach.
C) streams draining the continent that end at the shore.
D) All of the choices are correct.
D
15) Along a coast, a body of water receiving input of both fresh and salt water is
A) a breakwater.
B) a berm.
C) a long shore current.
D) an estuary.
D
16) Barrier islands
A) are long, low narrow, coast-parallel, sandy islands typically less than a meter or two above sea level.
B) protect quiet lagoons that are areas of intense biological productivity and diversity.
C) are eroded by strong wave action on their seaward side, thus moving them landward.
D) All of the choices are correct.
D
17) Potentially unstable coastlines may be identified by
A) the absence of shoreline-protection structures.
B) comparison of recent and older maps or aerial photographs of the area, if available from sources such as county planning office, detailed maps compiled earlier indicating the appearance of the coastline.
C) the width of the coastline.
D) a large amount of driftwood on the beach.
B
37) As waves approach shore
A) their height increases and their length decreases.
B) their height decreases and their length increases.
C) their height and length remain unchanged.
D) they break before reaching shore.
A
38) You own shoreline property on a coast where the longshore current is dominantly south to north. After an absence of a year, you returned to find that your boat dock no longer reached the water, but was surrounded by beach sand. What is the most likely explanation?
A) the neighbor to the north built a jetty or breakwater
B) the neighbor to the south built a jetty or breakwater
C) a dam was built in a nearby river
D) sea level rose several feet higher
A
39) Wave refraction is the process which
A) concentrates wave energy on pocket beaches (bays).
B) causes deep water waves to move faster.
C) causes shallow water waves to bend.
D) All of the choices are correct.
C
40) Wave energy along coastlines is concentrated
A) on headlands.
B) in bays.
C) near river mouths.
D) in submarine canyons.
A
41) A longshore current
A) carries sand down a deep sea canyon and away from shore.
B) flows out to sea from the mouth of a river.
C) forms where waves approach the beach at an angle.
D) All of the choices are correct.
C
42) Tidal energy comes from
A) gravity.
B) wind.
C) ocean currents.
D) longshore currents.
A
43) A wave-cut platform could be evidence of
A) higher sea level in the past.
B) lower sea level in the past.
C) longshore current activity.
D) changing tides.
A
44) A drowned valley could be evidence of
A) higher sea level in the past.
B) lower sea level in the past.
C) longshore current activity.
D) changing tides.
B
45) Most barrier islands
A) are stable.
B) are sinking.
C) are gradually moving seaward.
D) are gradually moving landward.
D
46) Why is the sea level dropping in certain places like Scandinavia?
A) global warming
B) shoreline erosion
C) sediment deposition
D) postglacial rebound
D
47) Why is sea level rising in much of the world?
A) global warming
B) shoreline erosion
C) sediment deposition
D) postglacial rebound
A
48) Rising sea level due to global warming will
A) cause a decrease in coastline erosion.
B) increase the acreage of coastal wetlands by increasing moisture content.
C) decrease the acreage of coastal wetlands due to saltwater intrusion.
D) cause beaches worldwide to grow seaward.
C
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