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What are littoral deposits?

• Sediments found in deep-sea trenches

• Deposits found in the foreshore and backshore zones

• Rock formations created by tectonic activity

• Deposits of fine clay in estuaries

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Littoral deposits are materials like sand, pebbles, or shells found along the shore where waves deposit them.

• Example: When you walk on a sandy beach, the sand under your feet is a littoral deposit.

Where are neritic deposits typically found?

• In the offshore zone

• In the foreshore zone

• On top of cliffs

• Inside river deltas

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Neritic deposits are fine sediments found further out at sea beyond the beach but still in shallow water.

• Example: Mud and silt settling in shallow ocean waters off the coast of Florida.

A beach is formed by the accumulation of material between which two tidal marks?

• Low Water Mark (LWM) and High Water Mark (HWM)

• Spring tide and neap tide levels

• Cliff base and sand dunes

• Low tide and storm surge levels

Answer explanation

• Explanation: A beach forms where waves drop sand, pebbles, and other materials between low and high tide levels.

• Example: Miami Beach in Florida, where sand is continuously deposited by waves.

What feature is often found at the top of a beach and marks the high-water level of spring tides?

• Berm

• Tombolo

• Lagoon

• Bay bar

Answer explanation

• Explanation: A berm is a small ridge of sand or pebbles created by waves, marking the highest point of regular tides.

• Example: After a storm, you might see a raised edge of sand left at the top of a beach.

A shingle ridge is primarily composed of what material?

• Fine sand

• Coarse pebbles and gravel

• Mud and silt

• Coral fragments

Answer explanation

• Explanation: A shingle ridge is made of pebbles and stones, unlike sandy beaches.

• Example: Chesil Beach in England, which is mostly covered in pebbles instead of sand.

Beach cusps are formed due to what process?

• Wind erosion shaping the beach

• Swash and backwash creating alternating ridges and embayments

• Sediment deposition from river deltas

• Longshore drift depositing sediment in bays

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Cusps form when waves push material up the beach in a pattern of small ridges and dips.

• Example: If you see crescent-shaped patterns in the sand on a beach, those are cusps.

What are fulls in relation to beaches?

• Wave-generated ridges that run parallel to the shoreline

• Small water-filled depressions behind dunes

• Channels that carry water away from a beach

• Coastal cliffs eroded by wave action

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Fulls are long ridges of sand that run along the beach, formed by waves.

• Example: Think of a line of small sand hills along the beach after strong waves.

What are swales in coastal environments?

• Ridges formed by wind-driven sand accumulation

• Depressions between sand dunes

• Sections of a cliff vulnerable to erosion

• Rock pools found in the intertidal zone

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Swales are the low areas between sand dunes where water can collect.

• Example: In a desert-like beach with dunes, you might find small valleys between them—that's a swale.

Bayhead beaches are formed where?

• At the mouth of a river delta

• In bays sheltered from strong wave action

• Along open coastlines with high wave energy

• At the base of steep cliffs

Answer explanation

• Explanation: These beaches form inside bays where waves are weaker, allowing sand to settle.

• Example: Lulworth Cove in England, where the beach is protected by surrounding cliffs.

Offshore bars are usually composed of what material?

• Solid rock from eroded cliffs

• Coral fragments from reefs

• Coarse sand or shingle

• Mud and silt

Answer explanation

• Explanation: Offshore bars are underwater ridges made of sand and pebbles, created by waves moving sediment.

• Example: Submerged sandbanks near the Outer Banks in North Carolina.