EAPS 100 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Broad, flat areas of the seafloor adjacent to mid-ocean ridges are called ____________ and
reflect subsidence of oceanic crust as it moves away from the mid ocean ridge, cools, and
becomes more dense.
Abyssal Plains
What bathymetric (underwater topographic) feature is associated with subduction zones?
A deep sea trench
Ocean waves can be generated by all of the following processes except which one?
Underwater earthquakes
*Heating sea water through absorption of solar radiation
Underwater landslides
Wind
As ocean waves approach the shore, the bottom of the wave ________ due to friction with
the seafloor.
Slows down
All of the following could trigger a tsunami except?
Asteroid impact
Underwater earthquake
Underwater landslide
*A light breeze
If you are at the beach, feel a major earthquake, and the ocean rapidly recedes as if it is
entering a low tide, what should you do?
Seek high ground
Which type of fault is least likely to generate a tsunami?
Strike-slip fault
The global seismometer network permits us to know where an earthquake occurred, what
type of fault generated the earthquake, and the magnitude of the earthquake within
seconds to minutes of the event. This allows organizations like the United States Geological
Survey to rapidly announce tsunami warnings. Nevertheless, tsunamis still claim many
lives despite the fact that some areas can receive hours of warning. What are some of the
factors that lead to our limited ability to save lives during a tsunami event? Please answer
this question in one paragraph or less.
, Lack of good way to distribute info, lack of infrastructure for rapid evacuations
Rifted margins tend to form ________ coastlines.
Submergent
Can the interaction of ocean waves with the coastline lead to erosion?
Yes
Which of the following is a way in which ocean waves can cause erosion along coastlines?
Moving sediment away from the coast
Fracturing rock
Abrading rock
*All of the above
Which of the following processes causes ocean waves to refract as they approach the
coastline?
Reduction of the wave's speed due to its interaction with the seafloor
Headlands are areas where land projects into the ocean. Do these areas concentrate wave
energy and erosion due to wave refraction?
Yes
Longshore Drift
The concentration of wave energy and erosion on headlands and the dissipation of wave
energy and sediment deposition in bays tends to __________ through time.
Straighten coastlines
Ocean tides are generated because of gravitational attraction of the ocean to the moon and
the sun. In what situation would the largest tidal range (i.e., highest high tide and lowest
low tide) occur?
When the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are aligned
Humans try to stabilize coastlines using a variety of methods. One method is to build
breakwaters. What is an inevitable consequence of the construction of breakwaters?
The deposition of sediment in calmer waters behind the breakwater
Concentration of wave energy and erosion at the breakwater
*Both of the above answers are correct
Coastlines are dynamic areas and this constant change should be considered when
developing coastal areas for human use.
True
ANSWERS
Broad, flat areas of the seafloor adjacent to mid-ocean ridges are called ____________ and
reflect subsidence of oceanic crust as it moves away from the mid ocean ridge, cools, and
becomes more dense.
Abyssal Plains
What bathymetric (underwater topographic) feature is associated with subduction zones?
A deep sea trench
Ocean waves can be generated by all of the following processes except which one?
Underwater earthquakes
*Heating sea water through absorption of solar radiation
Underwater landslides
Wind
As ocean waves approach the shore, the bottom of the wave ________ due to friction with
the seafloor.
Slows down
All of the following could trigger a tsunami except?
Asteroid impact
Underwater earthquake
Underwater landslide
*A light breeze
If you are at the beach, feel a major earthquake, and the ocean rapidly recedes as if it is
entering a low tide, what should you do?
Seek high ground
Which type of fault is least likely to generate a tsunami?
Strike-slip fault
The global seismometer network permits us to know where an earthquake occurred, what
type of fault generated the earthquake, and the magnitude of the earthquake within
seconds to minutes of the event. This allows organizations like the United States Geological
Survey to rapidly announce tsunami warnings. Nevertheless, tsunamis still claim many
lives despite the fact that some areas can receive hours of warning. What are some of the
factors that lead to our limited ability to save lives during a tsunami event? Please answer
this question in one paragraph or less.
, Lack of good way to distribute info, lack of infrastructure for rapid evacuations
Rifted margins tend to form ________ coastlines.
Submergent
Can the interaction of ocean waves with the coastline lead to erosion?
Yes
Which of the following is a way in which ocean waves can cause erosion along coastlines?
Moving sediment away from the coast
Fracturing rock
Abrading rock
*All of the above
Which of the following processes causes ocean waves to refract as they approach the
coastline?
Reduction of the wave's speed due to its interaction with the seafloor
Headlands are areas where land projects into the ocean. Do these areas concentrate wave
energy and erosion due to wave refraction?
Yes
Longshore Drift
The concentration of wave energy and erosion on headlands and the dissipation of wave
energy and sediment deposition in bays tends to __________ through time.
Straighten coastlines
Ocean tides are generated because of gravitational attraction of the ocean to the moon and
the sun. In what situation would the largest tidal range (i.e., highest high tide and lowest
low tide) occur?
When the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are aligned
Humans try to stabilize coastlines using a variety of methods. One method is to build
breakwaters. What is an inevitable consequence of the construction of breakwaters?
The deposition of sediment in calmer waters behind the breakwater
Concentration of wave energy and erosion at the breakwater
*Both of the above answers are correct
Coastlines are dynamic areas and this constant change should be considered when
developing coastal areas for human use.
True
