study guide for exam 3 ocean 100 UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
The Coastal region - the parts of the coastal region, starting with the coast all the way to the
offshore (we looked at about 6) - CORRECT ANSWER - Coast- land extending inland as
far as marine influence is seen, offshore- extends from breakers to edge or continental shelf,
beach- shore and nearshore; very active (when waves start breaking > coastline) active because
the waves are breaking and the waves are creating the wave-cut platform, berm- dry area at the
foot of the coastal cliff > sand; where you lay on your towel (tsunami, high tides, storm surges
can all cause this area to be wet), wave-cut platform- flat eroded bedrock at beach, by wave
energy (under water), notch- cave cut into sea cliff by wave energy (eroding it)
What wave energy does to a coastal cliff over time - erosion, how? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It erodes it, because it wears down the coastal cliff each time it hits it.
Rivers and cliff erosion - sand to the berm - CORRECT ANSWER - erosion of land, rivers
bringing sediment to ocean. - 67% of sand to the beach is from the erosion of coastal cliffs.
what about southern California sand supply? - CORRECT ANSWER - Southern California
has a longshore current. The southern California san supply comes from the north to the south.
What's the principal source? - CORRECT ANSWER - the principle source is from the
northern ocean, because the storms are up north.
What's the significance of the berm? - CORRECT ANSWER - The berm is where we lay
our beach towels when we go to the beach
The winter time beach vs the summer time beach, why the differences? - CORRECT
ANSWER - summertime beach: waves don't have a lot of energy, long waves push the
sand to the berm, wave energy is low, sandy beach-wide berm.... Wintertime beach: short, high
waves, high energy waves, waves create a sandbar under the water, rocky beach - narrow berm
, Longshore currents and longshore drift - why? - CORRECT ANSWER - Because the
waves approach the beach at an angle and the swash/ backwash helps flow parallel.
waves approach at an angle, current flows parallel to the shore, pushes the sand, which direction?
- CORRECT ANSWER - pushes the sand toward the south
what about southern CA? - CORRECT ANSWER - in southern CA the longshore current
is moving north to south
The 2 types of coasts - Erosional and Depositional and all characteristics of each (the landscapes
formed) - CORRECT ANSWER - depositional coasts - a lot of sand gets deposited on
land, rather flat coast, subsidence, deposit sediment, delta, barrier islands; erosional coast - coasts
being actively eroded away, uplifted because of the tectonics - near a plate boundary, lots of
cliffs, headland, sea caves, arches, stack
How does this tie in with Plate Tectonics? - CORRECT ANSWER - because they are
found near plate boundaries, they've been uplifted by subduction zones.
where do we find them mostly in NA? - CORRECT ANSWER - we find them more so on
the west coast of north America
Contrast the Atlantic and Gulf to the Pacific coasts - CORRECT ANSWER - the pacific
coasts is mainly erosional coast because it is found on an active margin, the Atlantic and the gulf
are on a plate so they are passive and flat coasts;
sea level changes and effect on Atlantic vs Pacific coasts - CORRECT ANSWER - pacific
coast: erosional coast, tectonically active, ocean does not migrate inland very far because its
uplifted. Atlantic: submerging, depositional, on a passive margin, ocean migrates inland a lot
what about the Gulf coast? - CORRECT ANSWER - below sea level, controlled by the
Mississippi river, ocean would migrate the farthest inland.
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
The Coastal region - the parts of the coastal region, starting with the coast all the way to the
offshore (we looked at about 6) - CORRECT ANSWER - Coast- land extending inland as
far as marine influence is seen, offshore- extends from breakers to edge or continental shelf,
beach- shore and nearshore; very active (when waves start breaking > coastline) active because
the waves are breaking and the waves are creating the wave-cut platform, berm- dry area at the
foot of the coastal cliff > sand; where you lay on your towel (tsunami, high tides, storm surges
can all cause this area to be wet), wave-cut platform- flat eroded bedrock at beach, by wave
energy (under water), notch- cave cut into sea cliff by wave energy (eroding it)
What wave energy does to a coastal cliff over time - erosion, how? - CORRECT
ANSWER - It erodes it, because it wears down the coastal cliff each time it hits it.
Rivers and cliff erosion - sand to the berm - CORRECT ANSWER - erosion of land, rivers
bringing sediment to ocean. - 67% of sand to the beach is from the erosion of coastal cliffs.
what about southern California sand supply? - CORRECT ANSWER - Southern California
has a longshore current. The southern California san supply comes from the north to the south.
What's the principal source? - CORRECT ANSWER - the principle source is from the
northern ocean, because the storms are up north.
What's the significance of the berm? - CORRECT ANSWER - The berm is where we lay
our beach towels when we go to the beach
The winter time beach vs the summer time beach, why the differences? - CORRECT
ANSWER - summertime beach: waves don't have a lot of energy, long waves push the
sand to the berm, wave energy is low, sandy beach-wide berm.... Wintertime beach: short, high
waves, high energy waves, waves create a sandbar under the water, rocky beach - narrow berm
, Longshore currents and longshore drift - why? - CORRECT ANSWER - Because the
waves approach the beach at an angle and the swash/ backwash helps flow parallel.
waves approach at an angle, current flows parallel to the shore, pushes the sand, which direction?
- CORRECT ANSWER - pushes the sand toward the south
what about southern CA? - CORRECT ANSWER - in southern CA the longshore current
is moving north to south
The 2 types of coasts - Erosional and Depositional and all characteristics of each (the landscapes
formed) - CORRECT ANSWER - depositional coasts - a lot of sand gets deposited on
land, rather flat coast, subsidence, deposit sediment, delta, barrier islands; erosional coast - coasts
being actively eroded away, uplifted because of the tectonics - near a plate boundary, lots of
cliffs, headland, sea caves, arches, stack
How does this tie in with Plate Tectonics? - CORRECT ANSWER - because they are
found near plate boundaries, they've been uplifted by subduction zones.
where do we find them mostly in NA? - CORRECT ANSWER - we find them more so on
the west coast of north America
Contrast the Atlantic and Gulf to the Pacific coasts - CORRECT ANSWER - the pacific
coasts is mainly erosional coast because it is found on an active margin, the Atlantic and the gulf
are on a plate so they are passive and flat coasts;
sea level changes and effect on Atlantic vs Pacific coasts - CORRECT ANSWER - pacific
coast: erosional coast, tectonically active, ocean does not migrate inland very far because its
uplifted. Atlantic: submerging, depositional, on a passive margin, ocean migrates inland a lot
what about the Gulf coast? - CORRECT ANSWER - below sea level, controlled by the
Mississippi river, ocean would migrate the farthest inland.
