Ocean Shore Zone

What is most likely to happen to an inlet over time?

• It becomes an estuary.

• It becomes part of a barrier island.

• Its shape and size change.

• It is moved inland by a storm surge.

What is likely to cause the most erosion along a beach in a short period of time?

• tides

• storm waves

• longshore current

• formation of a sandbar

What causes the water level to change in a regular cycle along the shore?

• inlets

• longshore currents

• waves

• tides

What is the main cause of tides?

• The gravitational pull of the moon.

• Differences in temperature.

• Changes in the depth of the ocean.

• Movement of water in a circular path.

Where is an estuary most likely to form?

• In a salt marsh

• Between two barrier islands

• Where two inlets meet

• Where a river flows into an ocean

Which two of these causes water to flow up and down in deep ocean currents?

• differences in the height of the tide, differences in salinity

• differences in salinity, differences in temperature

• differences in temperature, differences in wave angle

• differences in wave angle, differences in the height of the tide

Select the answer that correctly describes estuaries.

• They contain some freshwater, They only contain freshwater, They contain some saltwater

• They contain some freshwater, They contain some saltwater, They contain many types of sea life.

• They only contain freshwater, They only contain saltwater, They contain no sea life.

The earth is in a constant state of motion which creates forces that change the face of the Earth. Weathering is the force that breaks down rocks and other objects in nature into smaller pieces and erosion is the movement of the pieces that were broken off through the weathering process.

Choose the forces that cause weathering and erosion along a coastline.

• ice, waves, tides

• waves, tides, longshore currents

• tides, longshore currents, animals

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Beach sand is eroded by wind and water and if erosion is not prevented, people will have to come in later and dredge the beach. The sand fence was installed to prevent erosion. What else is used to prevent beach erosion in this case?

• rocks

• dune plants

• hills and mounds

• pathways for walking

In an estuary, the salinity, or the measure of how much salt is in water, can change with the movement of tides. Which statement correctly describes a detail about the salinity of an estuary?

• Salinity is lowest during high tide because the most water is present.

• Salinity is highest during high tide because more ocean water moves in.

• Salinity is at its lowest when freshwater and saltwater are mixed.

• Salinity is highest during low tide because it contains mostly ocean water.