Physical Geology Test 4 Chapter 13

Front 1

Wave Height

Back 1

The vertical distance between the rough and the crest

Front 2

Wavelength

Back 2

The horizontal distance between successive crests or troughs

Front 3

Wave base

Back 3

1/2 wave length

Front 4

Wave period

Back 4

the time interval between the passages of two successive crests at a stationary point

Front 5

wave crest

Back 5

highest point of wave motion

Front 6

wave trough

Back 6

lowest part of wave

Front 7

fetch

Back 7

Distance the wind has traveeled across the open water without significant change in direction

Front 8

Whitecaps

Back 8

The waves that continue to grow in size until they topple over. This happens as energy is transferred from the wind to the water and is also called Combers in New England

Front 9

Swells

Back 9

Wind generated waves that have moved into an area of weaker winds or calm

Front 10

Waves of Oscillation

Back 10

Waves that are in the open energy, occurring when wave energy moves forward and the water particles move in nearly cicular orbits. In this situation, the wave is not affected by the ocean floor.

Front 11

Waves of Translation

Back 11

These are the new waves created from what was once a wave of oscillation, but transform when water moves upshore.

Front 12

Surf

Back 12

This is the turbulant water that is created by the breaking of waves

Front 13

Swash

Back 13

The turbulent sheet of water moving up the slope of the beach

Front 14

Backwash

Back 14

This is the water that flows back down the beach toward the surf zone

Front 15

Wave refraction

Back 15

The bending of waves as they approach the shore.

Front 16

Beach Drift

Back 16

The effect of the waves refraction's pattern movement is to transport sediment in a zig zag pattern along the beach

Front 17

Lonshore Currents

Back 17

The oblique waves caused through the process of wave refraction also create a current within the surf zone that flows parallel to the shore which moves much more sediment than beach drift. These turbulent waters are called long shore currents and move fine suspended sand and roll larger sand and gravel across the bottom of the ocean.

Front 18

Wave-Cut Cliffs

Back 18

These originate by the cutting action of the surf against the base of coastal land.

Front 19

Wave-cut platform

Back 19

this is a relatively flat bench like surface which is left behind the receding cliff caused by the wave cut cliffs

Front 20

Sea arches

Back 20

These form when two caves on opposite sides of a headland unite.

Front 21

Sea Stack

Back 21

This is caused when the sea arch falls in the water; it is the left behind isolated remnant on the wave-cut platform

Front 22

Spits

Back 22

elongated ridges of sand that protect water from the land into th emout of an adjacent bay

Front 23

Baymouth Bar

Back 23

Any sandbar that completely crosses a bay, sealing it off from the open ocean

Front 24

Tombolo

Back 24

A ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland or to another island. Form like spits

Front 25

Barrier Islands

Back 25

the low ridges of sand that parallel the coast at distances from 3 to 30 kilometers offshore. 300 in Mass

Front 26

Groin

Back 26

A barrier built at a right angle to the beach to trap sand that is moving parallel to the shore

Front 27

Breakwater

Back 27

these are built parallel to the shoreline for the purpose of protecting coast from the force of large breaking waves

Front 28

Seawalls

Back 28

massive barriers intended to prevent waves from reaching the areas behind the walls

Front 29

Beach nourishment

Back 29

the involvment of the addition of large quantities of sand to the beach system

Front 30

Atlantic and Gulf Coast

Back 30

Barrier Islands. Absorb stom's energy causing extensive modification to islands

Front 31

Pacific Coast

Back 31

Narrow. Convergence of plate boundaries along the wast coast of the U.S. Shoreline erosion problems occur along the Pacific vary due to the sporadic nature of storms along this coast

Front 32

Emergent Coasts

Back 32

develop either because an area experiences an uplift or as a result of a drop in sea level

Front 33

Submergent Coasts

Back 33

develop either because an area subsides or as a result in rise of sea level.

Front 34

Tides

Back 34

The daily changes in elevation of the ocean surface

Front 35

Spring Tides

Back 35

result of linear alignment of Earth, moon, and sun, thereby combining gravitational forces of moon and sun. Large tidal range. New and full moon

Front 36

Neap Tides

Back 36

result of gravitational forces of the moon and sun acting on the Earth at right angles of each other essentially and partially. Lower tidal range. 1/4 and 3/4 moon phases

Front 37

Tidal Currents

Back 37

Term used to describe the horizontal flow of water associated with the rise and fall of the tide

Front 38

flood currents

Back 38

the tidal currents that move into a coastal zone as the tide rises

Front 39

Ebb Current

Back 39

The tidal currents that move out of a coastal zone as the tide falls

Front 40

Slack water

Back 40

term used to describe periods of little or no current. Transitional phases between flood and ebb currents.

Front 41

Tidal Flat

Back 41

these are the areas affected by tidal currents

Front 42

Tidal deltals

Back 42

created by tidal currents either as flood deltas landward of an inlet or as ebb deltas on the seaward side of an inlet.