Earth Science

Q: Which of the following is an action individuals have taken to help reduce the impact of a potential future tsunami?A) drain coastal wetlandsB) construct jettiesC) remove barrier islandsD) plant mangroves

Q: Pebbles can be moved by ________ in a process known as ________. A) deflation; saltation B) deflation; surface creep C) saltating particles; deflation D) saltating particles; surface creep

Q: Wind is ________ effective at eroding and transporting materials than other geomorphic agents because its density is ________ that of other geomorphic agents. A) more; higher B) more; lower C) less; higher D) less; lower

Q: Which of the following is not correct regarding loess? A) It consists of fine-grained clays and silts and can form vertical cliffs. B) It serves as good agricultural land. C) It is derived from glacial outwash plains or deserts. D) It has low binding strength.

Q: Which of the following is correct regarding loess deposits? A) They are principally composed of sands and gravels. B) They are formed of fine-grained clays and silts. C) They are found only in the United States. D) They form only following glacial activity.

Q: Which of the following is not a general shape upon which scientists classify dunes? A) rectilinear B) cresentic C) linear D) star

Q: Relative to dune movement and form, a dune's slipface forms on which side? A) leeward side B) windward side C) freedune side D) none of the aboveit is not associated with a particular side

Q: Which side of a dune typically has a slope angle equal to that of the angle of repose for sand? A) windward B) leeward C) stoss D) top

Q: An extensive area of sand and sand dunes is known as a(n) A) reg desert. B) erg desert, or sand sea. C) lag desert. D) desert pavement.

Q: The ability of the wind to move materials A) exceeds that of other transporting agents, such as water and ice. B) is small compared to other transporting agents, such as water and ice. C) is greater than that of water because of the higher density of air compared to water. D) increases with decreased wind speed.

Q: The smallest features shaped by individual saltating grains are A) ripples. B) dunes. C) sand seas. D) reg deserts.

Q: Which of the following terms is not a correct reference to a desert pavement? A) gibber plain B) lag gravels C) sand seas D) reg desert

Q: Desert pavement refers to A) specially constructed roadbeds in dry and hot regions. B) surfaces of concentrated pebbles and gravels. C) deposits of silt and clay. D) sand-covered surfaces.

Q: Elongated, streamlined ridges aligned parallel to the most effective wind direction are called A) ventifacts. B) yardangs. C) desert pavements. D) alluvial rock structures.

Q: The term used to describe rocks that are pitted, fluted, or polished from eolian erosion is A) desert pavement. B) pumice. C) ventifacts. D) deflation hollows.

Q: The grinding and shaping of rock surfaces by the "sand blasting" action of particles captured in the air is termed A) deflation. B) abrasion. C) saltation. D) deposition.

Q: A depression created by deflation is known as a A) playa. B) bolson. C) blowout depression. D) structural basin.

Q: The removal and lifting of individual loose particles by the wind is termed A) deflation. B) abrasion. C) saltation. D) deposition.

Q: For purposes of discussing eolian processes, the wind acts like a A) solid. B) gas. C) plasma. D) fluid.

Q: The term eolian refers to A) stream-related processes. B) glacial processes in areas outside the polar regions. C) erosion, transportation, and deposition by the wind. D) weathering and mass movement in humid regions.

Q: The destruction of a mangrove swamp might lead to A) the loss of aquatic species. B) the erosion of the coast. C) sediment accumulation on nearby reefs, and their consequent death. D) loss of species, coastal erosion, and sediment accumulation. E) there is no evidence of the loss of mangrove swamps.

Q: The sinuous, branching channels that characterize a salt marsh result from A) animal paths through the marsh. B) storm tracks. C) manmade drainage canals. D) the ebb and flow of tides.

Q: Which of the following is not a cause of the ejection of nutrient-providing algae from coral? A) pollution B) sedimentation C) oceanic acidification D) warming sea-surface temperatures E) pollution, sedimentation, acidication, and warming temperatures all contribute to this phenomenon.

Q: When coral expel their own nutrient-supplying algae, a phenomena called ________ often follows. A) bleaching B) symbiosis C) massive coral mortality (mcm) D) coloration

Q: An atoll is approximately ________ in shape because it forms ________. A) circular; around seastacks B) circular; around submerged volcanic islands C) linear; along barrier islands D) linear; along continental shorelines

Q: Large, lithified formations of calcium carbonate formed from both living and skeletal coral colonies are called A) atolls. B) coral reefs. C) barrier islands. D) tombolos.

Q: Coral and algae have a reciprocal relationship in which the algae perform photosynthesis, providing the coral with nutrition and helping with the calcification process. In return, the coral provide the algae with nutrients. This is an example of a ________ relationship. A) parasitic B) opportunistic C) symbiotic D) predator/prey

Q: A coral is a type of ________ that secretes ________ to form an organic rock home. A) polyp; calcium carbonate B) polyp; silica C) algae; calcium carbonate D) algae; silica

Q: A major difference between a barrier island and a barrier spit is A) a barrier spit is connected to the mainland, whereas a barrier island is not. B) barrier spits are anthropogenic, modeled after natural barrier islands. C) a barrier spit is a depositional feature that connects the barrier island to the mainland. D) one of regional terminology, a barrier island and a barrier spit are the same thing.

Q: Barrier islands make ________ sites for real estate development because ________. A) good; they provide excellent scenery B) good; they are made of rock and are quite stable C) poor; they are unstable and often mobile D) poor; they can be overrun by storm surges E) poor; they are unstable and often mobile and they can be overrun by storm surges.

Q: Which of the following is an example of a coastal wetland? A) playa lake B) mangrove swamp C) saltwater marsh D) both mangrove swamp and saltwater marsh E) playa lake, mangrove swamp, and saltwater marsh

Q: Which of the following is not correct regarding coral bleaching? A) The 1998 El Nio event caused the die-off of an estimated 30% of the world's reefs. B) Scientists have identified the reasons polyps eject their algae. C) The warming of sea-surface temperatures is a great threat to coral. D) Coral reefs are under pressure from overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, and global warming.

Q: Coral bleaching refers to A) the killing of coral formations by chlorine bleach pollution. B) the replacement of normal, colored algae by white algae. C) the loss of algae from the coral. D) the process whereby corol change color to avoid detection by predators.

Q: Coral formations A) tend to occur poleward of 30 latitude. B) survive in a broad ecological range because they are tolerant of temperature, salinity, and depth variation. C) require water that is high in sediment concentration. D) are made of animals living symbiotically with simple algae.

Q: Barrier beaches and islands occur worldwide, lying offshore of nearly ________ of Earth's coastlines. A) 10 percent B) 50 percent C) 70 percent D) 90 percent

Q: Long, narrow depositional features of sand that form offshore roughly parallel to the coast are called A) tombolos. B) barrier beaches. C) baymouth bar. D) groins.

Q: Human intervention along a coastline intended to interrupt beach drift can include all of the following except A) tombolos. B) jetties. C) breakwaters. D) groins.

Q: These features create zones of still water near coastlines. A) breakwaters B) groins C) jetties D) tombolos

Q: These features block material from entering a harbor. A) breakwaters B) groins C) jetties D) tombolos

Q: These features, here from Lake Michigan, disrupt sediment movement along a coast. A) breakwaters B) groins C) jetties D) tombolos

Q: Which of the following is not a "hard" shoreline protection measure? A) groins. B) beach nourishment. C) jetties. D) breakwater.

Q: The artificial replacement of sand along a beach is called A) groins. B) beach nourishment. C) jetties. D) breakwater.

Q: On average, the beach zone spans the area A) between high and low spring tides. B) from several meters above high tide to several meters below low tide. C) between high and low neap tides. D) from the high tide line during a spring tide to the low tide line during a neap tide.

Q: Beaches are A) places where sediment is stable and unchanging. B) permanent coastal features. C) places along the coast where sediment is in motion. D) always composed of sand.

Q: A ________ is deposited sediment that connects a shoreline with an offshore island. A) barrier spit B) lagoon C) tombolo D) baymouth bar

Q: A shallow saltwater body cut off from the ocean by a bay barrier is known as a A) barrier spit. B) lagoon. C) tombolo. D) baymouth bar.

Q: If the material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast grows to completely cut off the bay from an ocean, it become a A) barrier spit. B) lagoon. C) tombolo. D) baymouth bar.

Q: Material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast is called a A) barrier island. B) lagoon. C) barrier spit. D) tombolo.

Q: Which of the following is not an example of a depositional coastal landform? A) wave-built terrace B) barrier spit C) bay barrier D) wave-cut platform

Q: A terrace is A) an uplifted sea stack. B) an uplifted wave-cut platform. C) an erosional surface created by a massive tsunami. D) an uplifted foreshore dune.

Q: A wave-cut platform is the erosional remnant of a A) barrier island. B) spit. C) tombolo. D) cliff.

Q: Which of the following is not an example of an erosional coastal landform? A) sea arch B) tombolo C) wave-cut platform D) notched cliff

Q: Undercutting action of the sea results in A) barrier splits. B) sea cliffs. C) lagoons. D) tombolos.

Q: The height of a tsunami grows as it approaches a coastline primarily because A) its energy level increases. B) its wavelength shortens. C) the height of the surf is added to the height of the tsunami. D) trick questionthe height of a tsunami remains constant from the time of its origin.

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