Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyOceans, Coastal Processes, and Coastal Landforms

A circular or ring-shaped coral reef structure that completely or partially encloses a central lagoon is classified as which type of reef?

  1. AtollAnswer
  2. B
    Barrier reef
  3. C
    Fringing reef
  4. D
    River delta

Answer

An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef surrounding a central lagoon.
An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that completely or partially surrounds a central body of water known as a lagoon. It typically develops when a oceanic volcano subsides over time while coral polyps continue building upward towards the water surface.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key geometric and geomorphic characteristics given in the prompt.
The landform described is a circular/ring reef structure enclosing a central lagoon.
Coral reef types are categorized based on their structural relationship to landmasses and lagoons.
2
Compare the feature against known coral reef classes.
Fringing reefs touch the coast directly, barrier reefs parallel coasts separated by open water, and atolls form enclosed rings around lagoons.
Morphological classification establishes atoll as the exact match.

Key Concept

Types of Coral Reefs and Coastal Organic Landforms
Rate this question

Topics

Oceans, Coastal Processes, and Coastal Landforms

More questions from this topic