FES Ocean Shore Zone

On the South Carolina coast map shown below, the arrow points to an inlet.  Storms and currents change the _______ of inlet openings by depositing or eroding sand. 

• depth
• size
• shape
• all of these

A severe storm would be most likely to damage a coastal area by causing 

• erosion
• earthquakes
• pollution
• volcanoes

What natural force is responsible for the formation of the cliffs by the ocean in the picture? 

• flowing rivers
• moving wind
• ocean waves
• runoff moving downhill

The picture below shows a geological landform on Earth. This landform is always found along the shoreline of a body of water. It is usually made up of loose particles, such as sand and rock.

• a canyon
• an ocean ridge
• a beach
• a fault line

The picture below shows an estuary, which is an ecosystem where a freshwater river meets the salty ocean. To survive, the plants that live in estuaries need nutrients. The animals that live in estuaries need food in the form of small sea plants and animals.  What brings the sea life and nutrient-rich sediment into an estuary? 

• rain and snow
• rivers and streams
• strong winds
• high tides

What is the name for the structures that protect mainland beaches from erosion by waves and storms? 

• barrier islands
• rift zones
• rip tides
•  inlets

Which is true about the effect high ocean waves can have on a beach? 

• high waves only affect beaches during a storm
• high waves cause a beach to change shape
• high waves help a beach to remain the same shape
• high waves only affect beaches during the winter

Which of the following lists contains only geologic features of the ocean shore zone? 

• beaches, barrier islands, estuaries, and inlets
• inlets, mountains, beaches, and rift zone
• trenches, volcanoes, estuaries, and mid-ocean ridge
• beaches, seamounts, estuaries, and trenches

The shape of the jagged coastline in the picture above is primarily caused by _______. 

• gravity moving and depositing soil
• ocean waves eroding soil
• flowing rivers depositing soil
• blowing wind eroding soil

_______ can either form a beach by depositing sand or destroy a beach by eroding the sand. 

• waves
• currents
• storms
• all of these