Why are inlets through barrier bars or barrier islands not closed by longshore drift of sand?
a. Such inlets are always the outlets for onshore rivers to reach the sea, so they flush the sand out.
b. Rapid flow of water back and forth through the inlet as tides rise and fall keeps it clear.
c. Longshore sand drifted into such inlets drops into deeper water, so it drifts out to sea.
d. Sand drifted into such inlets encounters brackish water from the inlet and dissolves.
e. Sand drifted into such inlets is carried into the lagoon by incoming waves.
Question 2Which approach is NOT appropriate for addressing the high cost of beach replenishment?
a. trucking in sand from inland locations
b. moving homes to a safer distance from the coast
c. allowing the coast to erode land unimpeded
d. using crushed bottle glass instead of sand
e. using compacted garbage instead of sand
Question 3Why does sea level rise during a near-shore storm?
a. Low atmospheric pressure of the storm permits sea level to rise.
b. The winds stir the water in circles, so it rises in the center.
c. High pressure in the storm forces the water up.
d. Waves cluster together, so the average sea level is higher.
e. The gravitational pull of the moon is stronger during a storm.
Question 4Why does the beach slope under water become steeper near shore?
a. The sand grains are finer near shore.
b. The bottom has to rise rapidly to merge with the sand of the barrier island.
c. Sand from the onshore part of the beach has to drop abruptly because offshore the sand is under water.
d. Waves in shallow water drag on the bottom, so they lose energy and need a steeper slope to move the sand.
e. The waves are bigger near shore.
Question 5Which factor promotes a steeper slope on the active underwater part of the beach?
a. deeper water
b. shallower water
c. larger waves
d. finer grains
e. higher than average winds
Quick Reply
