OCN 150 Final Practice Exam

A wall of concrete or stacked boulders that extend into the ocean on either side of a harbor entrance is known as a __________.

• jetty

• pier

• dock

• wharf

One disadvantage of using a groin is that __________.

• they create rough waters that contribute to shipwrecks

• prevent lagoons from being opened up to the sea

• they stop the flow of longshore currents

• they cause sand to build up on one side of the groin and erode on the other

Why shouldn’t we walk on the dunes at the beach?

• It damages the ecosystem.

• It is too hot to walk on.

• It is illegal to do so.

• It is too steep to climb.

What is backwash?

• Water that runs back into the ocean.

• Water that falls forward and moves up the shore.

• Tug of war between the drag of the wind and pull of gravity.

• Swirling of water in an area.

__________ is the process by which humans retrieve eroded sand from underwater and place it back on the shoreline.

• Beach nourishment

• Sediment retrieval

• Beach building

• Shoreline nourishment

A landform that is completely surrounded by water and runs parallel to the mainland is known as a(n) __________.

• baymouth bar

• spit

• barrier island

• Groin

A longshore current is characterized by _________.

• water that approaches the shore head on and washes directly back and forth across the beach.

• water that rises vertically at the shore and sinks as it washes further down the beach

• water that moves horizontally across the edge of the beach in a back and forth pattern

• water that approaches the shore at an angle and washes up and down the beach in a zigzag pattern

What is the primary process responsible for the formation of barrier islands?

• Volcanic activity beneath the ocean floor

• Longshore drift and wave action depositing sediment

• Tectonic plate movement and uplift

• River delta sedimentation patterns

What is the primary difference between summer and winter beach profiles?

• Summer beaches have steeper profiles and more sand

• Winter beaches have gentler slopes and more sand

• Summer beaches have wider berms and gentler slopes

• Summer and winter profiles remain largely unchanged

__________ are offshore columns of resistant rock that were once connected to the mainland.

• Sea Cliff

• Sea Arch

• Sea Stack

• Sea Cave