Name: Abby Telenko

9.1 Study Guide for Oceans and Beaches

As you watch and listen to the presentation, fill out this study
guide. Use BLUE FONT for your answers and submit this document
for a grade.
1. 71% of the Earth is covered is water. How much of that is fresh water?
How is it distributed?
3% is freshwater. The major oceans in the world are the Pacific
(51.6%); the Atlantic (23.6%); Indian (21.2%); Southern and
Arctic along with the other seas of the world make up the
remaining 3.6% of water on Earth.
2. Ocean water is a mixture of dissolved gases and solids. Name them.
Salts, sodium chloride, NaCl
3. What are the two factors that determine where the dissolved gases will
be found?
Depth and temperature
4. What causes the dissolved gases to sink to colder water?
The density
5. What causes waves?
Winds blowing over the surface of the ocean
6. What are the 3 things that determine the size of a wave?
The strength of the wind
The distance the wind blows (called the fetch)
The length of the gust (duration)
7. Name the five parts of a wave.
Crest- the highest point of the wave
Trough- the valley between two waves
Wavelength- the horizontal distance between the crests or
troughs of two consecutive waves
Wave height- a vertical distance between a waves rest and the
next trough
Wave period- measures the size of the wave in time
8. What causes a tsunami?
Earthquakes
9. What 2 things cause ocean currents?
Wind patterns
Water density
10.
How do surface currents affect the weather?
They affect climate and weather patterns by warming or cooing
the air above the water
11.
What is the Gulf Stream?

The Gulf Stream is known as a log-distance current that carries

warm water from the southern tip of Florida along the eastern
coast of the US.
12.
Where are short distance surface currents found?
They are usually found at shorelines
13.
Where are longshore currents found?
Moving toward the shore
14.
Explain how a rip current occurs.
A rip current occurs when a current cuts an opening in a sand
bar and the currents return to the ocean in a powerful, narrow
flow (a type of undertow)
15.
Explain how deep currents occur.
They are caused by difference in water densities
16.
Which 2 factors affect the density of sea water?
Temperature and salinity
17.
Explain the benefits of upwelling.
This occurs when deep cold currents are forced upward
by the ocean floor bring nutrient rich foodstuffs to the
surface
This produces rich fishing grounds in areas where
upwelling occurs (Example Peru, Chile)
18.
How does El Nio affect the weather?
It influences storm patterns
19.
Name and describe 4 shoreline formations.
Sea Cliffs- steep faces of rock
Caves- hollowed out portions of sea cliffs
Sea Stacks- columns of resistant rocks left standing
Sand Bars- an underwater ridge of sand created by
longshore currents
20.
Describe the 5 parts of a shoreline.
Backshore- the area of the shoreline above the high water or
high tide mark.
Foreshore- the area that is exposed at low tide
Offshore region- extends from the low tide mark seaward
beyond the wave breaking zone
Shoreface- slope below the low tide mark
Longshore- a depression parallel to the beach between the low
tide mark and wave breaking zone
21.
What is the definition of a barrier island?
(Natures way of straightening out the shore) Elongated bodies
of sand bounded on either end by inlets allowing salt and fresh
water to flow into and out of the estuary behind the island.
(Example The Outer Banks)

22.
Explain why beach erosion, {which is natures way of moving
sand around} a problem for humans.
If humans buy property and build houses, and buildings and
invest a lot of money into this, they could lose all of it because
of beach erosion. You can have buildings, or you can have
beaches; in the long run you cannot have both. I totally agree
with that because these people will lose all of their money by
buying all this stuff and having it destroyed because of beach
erosion.