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Oceans Study Guide
1. Vocabulary – please define the following vocabulary:
continental shelf: shallow, underwater edge of Earth’s land mass
continental slope: steep slope where the continental shelf drops to the bottom of the
ocean floor
ocean basin: located on either side of the mid-ocean ridge; made up of low hills and
flat plains
beach: a shoreline where the ocean meets the land
barrier island: naturally occurring islands that protect the mainland from wave erosion
estuaries: the area where a river meets the ocean
wave: the repeated movement of water
current: flowing streams of water that move continually through the ocean in a specific
direction
longshore current: currents that flow along the shoreline and carry sand from one
location to another
tide: the regular rise and fall of the ocean water as a result of the moon’s gravitational
pull on Earth
conservation: the wise use of Earth’s natural resources
pollution: anything that harms the natural environment
2. Complete the comparison chart of continental and oceanic landforms with the
appropriate landform.
Continental and Oceanic Landforms
Description
Continental
Oceanic
Low land between hills
Valley
Rift
or mountains
Deep valley with high,
Canyon
Trench
steep sides
An opening in the surface Volcano
Seamount and
from which lava flows
Volcanic Islandsexample: Hawaiian
Islands
Land which rises high
Mountain Range
Mid-ocean ridge
above the ground
Wide, flat areas of land
Plains
Abyssal Plain
3. Complete the following chart to explain how tides, waves, currents, and storms change
or affect beaches, barrier islands, estuaries, and inlets.
Effects of tides, waves, currents, and storms on the Ocean Shore Zone
Beaches
Barrier Islands
Estuaries
Inlets
Bring in sand,
Bring in sand,
Brings in
Tides
Amount of
shells, sediments shells, sediments sediments and
water changes
Waves
Currents
Storms
and leave them
behind
and leave them
behind
Weather and
erode
shoreline; can
deposit sand
Move sand
from one
place to
another
Cause wave
action that
removes sand
Changes
Deposit sand
shape of BI by in estuaries
deposition
Move sand
from one
place to
another
Cause wave
action that
removes sand
sea life that feed
life in estuary
X
Cause wave
action that
removes sand
X
Change shape
of opening
Change shape
of opening
4. Use your notes to complete the comparison of waves, currents, and tides.
Comparison of waves, currents, and tides (How Water Moves)
How it moves What it looks What causes it Effect on land
like
Waves
Through the
On-shore
Deposits and
water, but
winds
erodes sand
does not carry
on shore
it
Longshore
-Like a river
Prevailing
currents:
running through
Surface
Winds
Carries sand away
ocean
Currents
Changes shape of
-carries the water
-curves and bends
around landforms
Tides
Rise and fall
barrier islands and
inlet openings
Gravitational
pull of moon
Water level
changes
5. What is the purpose of the following conservation efforts?
Jetties: to keep sand from washing into the inlet opening and blocking it
Groins: to keep sand from eroding on the beach
Sea Walls: to protect structures on the shoreline
Fences: to keep people from destroying sand dunes and it also helps some with keeping
sand from being washed away
Planting of Sea Oats: to create a “web of roots” on sand dune to keep the sand in place
Beach Renourishment: bringing in sand from ocean floor helps to keep the natural flow of
ocean waves from damaging the structures on the shore
6. Please explain how pollution has affected the ocean and land?
(List examples.)
o Dumping materials into rivers (which will eventually go into the estuaries and
oceans)
o Smoke and fumes from burning fuels pollutes the air
o Oil spills harm the ocean and kills ocean life
o Carelessness in agriculture, industry, construction, and mining
7. Use drawings and words to explain how the moon’s gravitational pull affects Earth’s
tides.
8. On the drawing of the wave below, please label: crest, trough, wave length, wave
height (amplitude).