Exam
Name___________________________________
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1)
Which site will most likely experience rapid erosion?
1)
A) 1,
cliffs composed of hard rocks
B) 2, sediments in a delta
C) 3, the seafloor deep beneath the waves
D) 4, the coastline of a bay
E) 5, the coastline in a branching embayment
2)
Which of the following is true about how coasts are affected from the water side?
A) Most waves are generated by earthquakes and become larger upon approaching the
shore.
B) Waves can erode, deposit, or simply transport sediment.
C) Tides increase and decrease the size of waves but leave sea level unchanged.
D) Most erosion along shorelines occurs from offshore currents.
E) None of these are correct.
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2)
3)
Factors that do not affect the appearance of a coast from the water side include
A) slope of the seafloor.
B) strength of waves and tides.
C) orientation of the coastline.
D) size and intensity of storms.
E) All of these affect the appearance.
3)
4)
Factors that affect the appearance of a shoreline include
A) the hardness of bedrock along the coast.
B) whether sea level has risen or fallen relative to the coast.
C) climate and vegetation.
D) All of these are correct.
4)
5)
The orientation of a coastline affects the appearance of a shoreline primarily because it
influences
A) the erosive effects of waves.
B) how much sun it receives.
C) which way river sediment enters the shoreline system.
D) the direction of prevailing winds.
5)
6)
Which of the following is true about how coasts are affected from the land side?
A) Many beach areas are backed by coastal dunes formed by the wind.
B) Fine sediment in rivers is deposited close to shore, and coarser sediment is carried
farther away from shore.
C) Rivers are not important contributors of sediment into the shoreline system.
D) All of these are correct.
6)
7)
Climate influences the processes along coastal landscapes by
A) melting glaciers which causes sea level to rise.
B) affecting the size and intensity of storms.
C) allowing wet climates to support more vegetation which may stabilize the soil.
D) controlling the amount of precipitation, which affects the amount of erosion.
E) All of these are correct.
7)
2
8)
With the Moon in this position, which area will experience high tide?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 1
3
and 3
8)
E) 2
and 4
9)
With the Moon in this position, which area will experience low tide?
A) 1
10) With
B) 2
C) 3
D) 2
and 4
9)
E) 1
and 3
the Sun and Moon in this position, the side of the Earth facing the Moon experiences 10)
A) a
C) a
neap tide.
spring tide.
B) a
D) a
4
normal high tide.
normal low tide.
11) With
the Sun and Moon in this position, the side of the Earth facing the Moon experiences 11)
A) a
normal high tide.
C) a neap tide.
B) a
D) a
spring tide.
normal low tide.
12) An
area will experience high tide
A) in the early afternoon when water temperatures are highest.
B) during a period of intense sunspot activity.
C) when the moon is directly overhead or on the opposite side of Earth.
D) when there is a quarter moon in the sky.
12)
13) High
13)
and low tides are caused by
rise in sea level during the day because of an increase in storms.
B) the tendency for water on a spinning globe to be thrown outward.
C) water being pulled by the gravity of the Moon.
D) daily heating and cooling of the seas, which causes seawater to contract and expand.
E) All of these are correct.
A) a
14) There are two
high tides and two low tides in each 25-hour period because
A) heating and cooling of the seas occurs twice each day.
B) Earth orbits around the Sun in a little over 24 hours.
C) the Moon orbits Earth in 25 hours.
D) Earth completes a full rotation every 24 hours but the Moon moves too.
14)
15) High
15)
tides are higher than average and low tides are lower than average when
is a full moon.
B) it is a new moon.
C) the Moon and the Sun are aligned relative to the Earth.
D) All of these are correct.
A) it
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16) If
waves approach the shore at an angle, they
A) bend so they approach the shore more directly.
B) die out before they reach the shore.
C) begin to break in water depths deeper than the wave base.
D) do none of these because waves do not approach the shore at an angle.
17) Which
numbered location in this figure would be the wave base?
A) 1
18) To
16)
B) 2
C) 3
D) 1
and 2
which numbered depth would the effects of this wave likely reach?
A) Only on
the surface
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) Much
deeper than 3
6
17)
E) 2
and 3
18)
19) The depth
of wave base is the same as
A) the process by which waves move material along the bottom in very deep water.
B) a depth equal to three times the wavelength of waves.
C) the depth to which wave action extends.
D) the inside of a tubular breaking wave that is perfect for surfing.
19)
20) Which
20)
of the following is true about how waves form and break upon the shore?
get smaller as wind speed increases.
B) Waves begin to change when they reach water shallower than wave base.
C) Waves break in a counterclockwise direction because of rotation of the Earth.
D) Most waves form from upwelling of deep waters.
E) None of these are correct.
A) Waves
21) How
do waves propagate across the water?
A) The wave moves forward, but water moves in a circular motion.
B) Water within the wave travels as far as the wave does.
C) Water near the surface moves less than water at depth.
D) All of these are correct.
21)
22) In
a wave of oscillation, an individual water molecule near the surface will move
A) in a smaller vertical circle than a water molecule submerged deeper in the wave.
B) in a larger vertical circle than a water molecule submerged deeper in the wave.
C) clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern
Hemisphere.
D) counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern
Hemisphere.
22)
multiple waves on the ocean are approaching the same point, but arriving from
different directions, the result is most likely to be
A) a tsunami.
B) choppy seas.
C) a shallower wave base.
D) smaller waves than would have occurred if the waves were coming from only one
direction.
23)
23) If
24) Rip
currents form because
A) the longshore current gets intensified.
B) backwash occurs in a narrow zone.
C) neap tides bring extra energy.
D) there is more coastal upwelling than usual.
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24)
25) If
you are caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is to
A) swim perpendicular to the shore.
B) swim at an angle to the shore.
C) swim parallel to the shore.
of the following parts of a coast is more likely to experience intense erosion?
A) A straight part of the shoreline
B) The seaward end of a promontory
C) Areas within a bay
D) A gently curved part of the shoreline
25)
26) Which
26)
27) Which
27)
28) Which
28)
of the following can influence whether a coast gains or loses sand with time?
A) the amount of sediment in rivers
B) a longshore current
C) prevailing wind direction
D) the amount of precipitation on land
E) All of these are correct.
of the following is not a possible source of large stones along a shoreline?
storms eroding the deep seafloor and transporting the rocks toward the beach
B) Waves swirling away loose pieces of bedrock
C) Undercutting by waves causes steep rock faces to collapse into the sea
D) Rivers depositing large cobbles near the coastline
A) Large
29) Sand
and other sediment
A) can move laterally along the coast if waves approach the beach at an angle.
B) can slump downward if the sea bottom has too gentle a slope.
C) only move up and down the slope of the beach.
D) are moved by the wind if the material is coarser than sand.
E) All of these are correct.
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29)
30) Which
A) In
way is the current moving along this coastline?
toward the coast
left to right
B) Out
C) From
31) This
30)
to sea
right to left
D) From
spit is a(n) ________ landform.
A) erosional
31)
B) fluvial
C) depositional
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D) isostatic
32) If
this spit continues to grow, cutting off the lagoon, it will become a
A) baymouth
bar.
B) groin.
C) reef.
33) The sea
32)
D) sandbar.
cave in this photograph formed by
33)
A) erosion
by blowing beach sand.
C) removal of rocks by giant lobsters.
B) erosion
D) a
10
of a promontory by waves.
rapid drop in sea level.
34) This
wave-cut platform indicates
34)
A) movement
of a large thrust fault.
lowering of sea level relative to the land.
C) a rise of sea level relative to the land.
D) scouring of the land surface by a tsunami.
B) a
35) What
features are shown in this photograph?
35)
A) Coral
reefs
B) Pinnacles and sea stacks
C) Sea caves
D) Karst topography
E) None of these are correct.
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36) Over
time, a spit will grow
A) toward a wave-cut platform.
B) in the direction from which waves are approaching the coast.
C) toward a promontory.
D) in the same direction as a longshore current.
E) None of these are correct.
36)
37) Which
37)
38) The typical
38)
of the following features is generally composed of bedrock?
A) Offshore bar
B) Spit
C) Wave-cut platform
D) Barrier island
E) None of these are correct.
setting of a sea cave or sea stack is
A) on a barrier island.
B) on a sandbar.
C) on a baymouth bar.
D) on a promontory.
E) within a protected bay.
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39) Which
of the following features was not an important process contributing to the formation 39)
of Cape Cod into its present-day shape?
A) Sea level
increases
B) Glacial deposition
C) North to south longshore current
D) All of these are important processes for Cape Cod's formation.
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40) The small
island on the lower right of this photograph is a(n)
A) sandbar.
41) The left
B) fringing reef.
C) sea
stack.
40)
D) atoll.
to right slope of the small island on the lower right of this photograph tells us that 41)
A) wave
action must be minimal in this area.
ocean depth must be increasing to the right.
C) an area of coastal upwelling must be nearby.
D) a nearby stream on the mainland must be providing sediment to support the island.
B) the
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42) This
feature is a(n)
A) sandbar.
43) The feature pictured
42)
B) fringing reef.
C) atoll.
D) sea
stack.
below formed as
43)
A) a
recent explosive volcanic eruption left only the sides of the volcano remaining.
seafloor spreading occurred in a circular pattern.
C) an island flanked by coral sank.
D) mass wasting caused the highest parts of a hill to move downslope until nothing
was left in the middle.
B) oceanic
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44) It
has been proposed that the reason that the Pacific Ocean has many more coral reefs
than the Atlantic Ocean is that
A) the last glacial advance left the Atlantic too cold to allow coral to survive.
B) the ocean currents in the Atlantic are too swift to allow for coral reefs to develop
unimpeded.
C) the Atlantic Ocean is too saline for many coral species.
D) there are too many large rivers discharging polluted waters into the Atlantic basin to
support as many coral reefs as in the
Pacific, which is much larger and more immune to the pollution.
44)
45) What
45)
46) Which
46)
47) What
47)
48) Which
48)
was a key point demonstrated by photographs in the textbook from before and after
hurricanes?
A) Waves and storm surge caused erosion of beaches and destruction of houses.
B) Most houses were buried beneath sand brought in by strong waves.
C) Neighborhoods were flooded, but the houses and shorelines were unchanged.
D) Most houses were protected by the beach sediment.
of the following is not an approach communities have tried to address shoreline
problems?
A) Construction of a seawall
B) Lowering the local sea level
C) Replenishing sand
D) Building a breakwater
E) Construction of a jetty
is probably the least expensive approach for avoiding shoreline hazards?
A) Using private insurance money to rebuild houses destroyed by erosion and waves
B) Forbidding the building of houses or other structures in high-risk areas
C) Using federal disaster money to rebuild houses destroyed by erosion and waves
D) Bringing in sand to replenish what is lost to storms
E) Building up the land level so communities, such as New Orleans, are above sea
level
of the following does not affect the potential hazards of a shoreline?
of a beach
B) Elevation of the land surface near the shore
C) The presence of offshore islands and sand bars
D) The distribution of hard and soft rocks
E) All of these affect potential hazards of shorelines.
A) Width
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49) What
does LIDAR data tell us about shorelines?
A) how the size of waves is related to salinity of seawater
B) how the color of sand affects the air temperature
C) changes in elevation, including destruction of houses
D) how the size of waves is related to water temperature
E) None of these are correct.
50) What
geologic event is probably indicated by this irregular coast, with estuaries?
A) Erosion
due to large tsunamis
C) A rise in sea level
50)
B) A
drop in sea level
D) The uplift of submarine canyons
51) Which
of the following most likely indicates that sea level has risen relative to the land?
A) Wave-cut notches and platforms that are above sea level
B) An irregular coastline with branching estuaries and embayments
C) The presence of coral reefs on land
D) Marine terraces
E) Offshore sand bars that have become coastal dunes
52) Which
49)
of the following most likely indicates that the sea level has fallen relative to the
land?
A) Offshore sand bars that have become coastal dunes
B) Wave-cut notches and platforms that are above sea level
C) The presence of coral reefs on land
D) Marine terraces
E) All of these are correct.
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51)
52)
53) An
increase in the rate of seafloor spreading along this ridge would cause
53)
A) seawater to
be displaced out of the ocean basin.
ridge to become broader.
C) a rise in sea level.
D) All of these are correct.
B) the
54) Which
of the following would cause the sea level to rise?
A) Faster rates of seafloor spreading
B) A decrease in the number of glaciers on land
C) A rise in the temperature of the oceans
D) All of these are correct.
54)
55) What
55)
is the primary reason an increase in glaciation on land would cause sea level to
fall?
A) The temperature of
the oceans decreases from cold glacial streams.
depress the land surface, which pulls sea level down with it.
C) An increase in snow cover causes the atmosphere to heat up, which causes more
evaporation.
D) Glaciers tie up large volumes of water that would otherwise be in the sea.
B) Glaciers
56) How
does the rate of seafloor spreading affect the sea level?
A) Faster spreading produces broader ridges that displace water and expand the oceans.
B) Faster spreading causes faster subduction, which pulls down continental margins.
C) Faster spreading heats up ocean, waters causing them to expand and flood the land.
D) They have no effect because the rates of seafloor spreading do not change over time.
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56)
57) What
is the main way that position of the continents can influence global sea level?
A) Continents at high latitudes provide a setting in which large ice sheets can form.
B) Clustering of continents near the poles causes ocean temperatures to fall
substantially.
C) Clustering of continents near the poles causes the planet to bulge near the equator,
causing sea level to rise since more of the equatorial area is oceanic.
D) Continents near the equator receive higher amounts of rainfall.
57)
58) Which
58)
59) What
59)
60) The diagram
60)
of the following would cause the sea level to fall?
A) A decrease in the amount of glaciers on land
B) A rise in the temperature of the oceans
C) A slowing in the rate of seafloor spreading
D) All of these are correct.
happens to the land surface when large ice sheets melt away?
A) The land flexes upward due to isostatic rebound.
B) The land rises because the rocks are warmer without the ice.
C) It subsides because there is less ice on top.
D) The land surface remains unchanged but seems lower because of the loss of ice.
below represents which stage of the U.S. Geological Survey's model of
beach erosion?
A) Swash
regime
regime
B) Overwash
C) Collision
regime
regime
D) Inundation
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61) The diagram
61)
below represents a model that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) uses to
categorize the extent of storm surge in the coastal zone. The red arrow in this figure points
to
A) the
height of high tide.
B) the maximum height of the swash zone.
C) the radius of motion of water molecules that are part of the waves of oscillation.
D) the highest rate of discharge from the nearest stream.
62) During a
hurricane or other strong coastal storm, material on barrier islands can be
moved from the seaward side to the side away from the sea in the process called
A) ebb.
B) sheet erosion.
C) overwash.
D) collision.
62)
63) Three
63)
damaging hurricanes on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in 2011 or 2012 were
A) Irene and Sandy on the Atlantic Coast and Ike on the Gulf Coast.
B) Imelda and Sandy on the Atlantic Coast and Ike on the Gulf Coast.
C) Imelda and Sandy on the Atlantic Coast and Isaac on the Gulf Coast.
D) Irene and Sandy on the Atlantic Coast and Isaac on the Gulf Coast.
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Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED6
1) B
2) B
3) E
4) D
5) A
6) A
7) E
8) E
9) E
10) C
11) C
12) C
13) C
14) D
15) D
16) A
17) C
18) D
19) C
20) B
21) A
22) B
23) B
24) B
25) C
26) B
27) E
28) A
29) A
30) D
31) C
32) A
33) B
34) B
35) B
36) D
37) C
38) D
39) C
40) B
41) B
42) C
43) C
44) A
45) A
46) B
47) B
48) E
49) C
50) C
21
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED6
51) B
52) E
53) D
54) D
55) D
56) A
57) A
58) C
59) A
60) B
61) B
62) C
63) D
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