front 1 The most important mechanical weathering process is ________. | back 1 frost action |
front 2 Which the following denotes the positively charged particles in an atom's nucleus? | back 2 protons |
front 3 All silicate minerals contain which two elements? | back 3 silicon, oxygen |
front 4 As the rate of cooling increases, the size of the crystals that form ________. | back 4 decreases |
front 5 A(n) ________ represents a former meltwater channel or tunnel in glacial ice that was filled with sand and gravel. | back 5 esker |
front 6 Which of the following best describes the process of eluviation? | back 6 removal of very fine-sized silt and clay particles from the A and E soil horizons |
front 7 Which of the following best describe the E soil horizon? | back 7 leaching zone |
front 8 Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock? | back 8 In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains. |
front 9 From the land surface downward to the unweathered bedrock, which of the following is the correct order of the different soil horizons? | back 9 0, A, E, B, C, bedrock |
front 10 A broad accumulation of stratified drift deposited adjacent to the downstream edge of an end moraine is a(n) ________. | back 10 outwash plain |
front 11 During the most recent ice age, glaciers covered about ________ percent of Earth's land area. | back 11 30 |
front 12 The most abundant chemical sedimentary rock is ________. | back 12 limestone |
front 13 Which one of the following is NOT true about mechanical weathering? | back 13 does not affect metamorphic rocks |
front 14 Sedimentary rocks ________. | back 14 – may contain fossils – may be economically important – hold important clues to Earth's history all of the above |
front 15 Which one of the following is an igneous rock? | back 15 rhyolite |
front 16 Coal beds originate in ________. | back 16 freshwater coastal swamps and bogs |
front 17 Which group of minerals are the most abundant in the Earth's crust? | back 17 silicates |
front 18 The common rock produced by the metamorphism of limestone is ________. | back 18 marble |
front 19 Which of the following is correct for isotopes of the same element? | back 19 The atoms have different numbers of neutrons and the same number of protons. |
front 20 Abrasion and plucking generally involve what part of a glacier? | back 20 the bottom or base |
front 21 Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure? | back 21 micas |
front 22 Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statement is true? | back 22 Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. |
front 23 The loess deposited in many parts of the Midwest ________. | back 23 was once glacial outwash deposits |
front 24 Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering? | back 24 chemical |
front 25 What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils? | back 25 warm temperatures; very moist |
front 26 Desert pavement is the result of ________. | back 26 deflation |
front 27 A(n) ________ is an irregular, usually thin till layer laid down by a retreating glacier. | back 27 ground moraine |
front 28 The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil-coloring minerals originate by what process? | back 28 precipitation of iron oxides during the chemical weathering process |
front 29 The texture of an igneous rock ________. | back 29 records the rock's cooling history |
front 30 Which of the following statements concerning mudflows is NOT true? | back 30 Mudflows deposit talus slopes. |
front 31 The agents of metamorphism are ________. | back 31 heat, pressure, and chemical fluids |
front 32 Which of the following changes may occur during metamorphism? | back 32 – The rock becomes more compact. – Crystals may grow larger. – Certain minerals may recrystallize. all of the above |
front 33 Consider a weathered rock or soil particle lying on a slope. How will the gravitational force pulling the particle downward along the land surface vary with the inclination of the slope? | back 33 It will decrease as the slope angle is lessened. |
front 34 The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as ________. | back 34 hardness |
front 35 An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus? | back 35 7 |
front 36 What type of metamorphic rock will shale normally become following low-grade metamorphism? | back 36 slate |
front 37 The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as ________. | back 37 cleavage |
front 38 All of the following are possible indicators that creep is occurring except for ________. | back 38 an extremely thick soil profile |
front 39 In which area would weathering by frost wedging probably be most effective? | back 39 in moist, temperate climates |
front 40 Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen? | back 40 quartz |
front 41 Rhyolite is the fine-grained equivalent of this igneous rock. | back 41 granite |
front 42 Which mass wasting process has the slowest rate of movement? | back 42 creep |
front 43 Rocks that contain crystals that are roughly equal in size and can be identified with the unaided eye are said to exhibit a ________ texture. | back 43 coarse-grained |
front 44 The most unreliable (variable) diagnostic property of minerals such as quartz is ________. | back 44 color |
front 45 Which of these factors influence the type and rate of weathering? | back 45 – mineral content – climate – topography all of these |
front 46 Igneous rock is formed ________. | back 46 by crystallization of magma |
front 47 Compaction would probably be most significant as a lithification process for ________. | back 47 shale |
front 48 ________ is composed of alternating bands of light and dark silicate minerals. | back 48 Gneiss |
front 49 Sedimentary rocks comprise approximately ____ percent of Earth's outermost 10 miles. | back 49 5 |
front 50 Obsidian exhibits a ________ texture. | back 50 glassy |
front 51 As an erosional process, how is mass wasting unique from wind, water, and ice? | back 51 Mass wasting does not require a transporting medium. |
front 52 Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral? | back 52 luster |
front 53 This rock gets its name from a chain of mountains located in South America. | back 53 andesite |
front 54 What element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust by weight? | back 54 oxygen |
front 55 ________ is one of the two major flow mechanisms in a glacier. | back 55 Slipping |
front 56 Which one of the following is an important, mechanical weathering process for enlarging fractures and extending them deeper into large boulders and bedrock? | back 56 frost wedging |
front 57 Where is the world's largest ice sheet located today? | back 57 Antarctica |
front 58 A cubic centimeter of quartz, olivine, and gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams respectively. This indicates that ________. | back 58 gold has a higher density and specific gravity than quartz and olivine |
front 59 A naturally occurring concentration of one or more metallic minerals that can be extracted economically is a(n) ________. | back 59 ore |
front 60 A name commonly used as a synonym for the most recent Ice Age is ________. | back 60 Pleistocene epoch |
front 61 The term drift ________. | back 61 means any sediments of glacial origin |
front 62 What mature, desert landscape feature consists of coalesced alluvial fans? | back 62 bajada |
front 63 Select the coarse-grained rock which is composed mainly of quartz and potassium feldspar from the list below. | back 63 granite |
front 64 Which mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas? | back 64 calcite |
front 65 All of the following are factors that affect rates of weathering except for ________. | back 65 geologic age of earth materials |
front 66 Which one of the following is NOT true for minerals? | back 66 They can be a liquid, solid, or glass. |
front 67 This dense, nonfoliated metamorphic rock is produced most often from sandstone. | back 67 quartzite |
front 68 Which mineral has water bound into its structure? | back 68 gypsum |
front 69 Metamorphism may result from ________. | back 69 – pressure – heat – chemical action all of these |
front 70 Detrital sedimentary rocks are classified primarily on the basis of ________. | back 70 particle size |
front 71 Which of the following is NOT a fundamental particle found in atoms? | back 71 selectron |
front 72 Which of the following has the highest specific gravity? | back 72 gold |
front 73 Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________. | back 73 ions |
front 74 Desert and steppe lands cover about what percentage of Earth's land area? | back 74 30% |
front 75 Atoms of the same element, zinc for example, have the same number of ________. | back 75 protons in the nucleus |
front 76 Which one of the following applies to a valley glacier that lengthens (extends the position of its terminus downslope) over a period of many years? | back 76 accumulation exceeds wastage |
front 77 Which one of the following statements concerning mechanical weathering is NOT true? | back 77 involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material |
front 78 Which of the following minerals is a silicate? | back 78 feldspar |
front 79 Which of the following lists the rocks in the order of increasing grain size and increasing grade of metamorphism? | back 79 slate, phyllite, schist |
front 80 Of the following, which one would most likely be triggered by an earthquake? | back 80 rock avalanche |
front 81 All of the following are factors affecting mass wasting except for ________. | back 81 geologic age |
front 82 This igneous texture is characterized by two distinctively different crystal sizes. | back 82 porphyritic |
front 83 Which one of the following statements best describes erosion? | back 83 the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere |
front 84 ________ are erosional features produced by valley/alpine glaciers. | back 84 Cirques |
front 85 How do freezing, thawing, wetting, and drying contribute to soil creep? | back 85 The soil expands and contracts, lifting particles and dropping them a slight distance downslope. |
front 86 Granite and gabbro ________. | back 86 have a similar texture |
front 87 Which statement best describes slumping, a mass wasting process? | back 87 a block or blocks of unconsolidated regolith slide downhill along a curved slip surface |
front 88 Which process occurs where a glacier enters the sea? | back 88 calving |
front 89 Ice Age glaciers had many indirect effects. Which one of the following was NOT such an effect? | back 89 formation of mountains |
front 90 Intrusive rocks ________. | back 90 none of the above – are generally fine-grained – are quite often vesicular – form at Earth's surface |
front 91 Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material? | back 91 talus slopes |
front 92 A ________ forms when a block of ice is buried in drift and subsequently melts, creating a pit. | back 92 kettle |
front 93 Which one of the following is NOT true of glaciers? | back 93 exist only in the Northern Hemisphere |
front 94 The ion at the center of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron is surrounded by ________. | back 94 four oxygen ions |
front 95 Which one of the following operates primarily in areas of permafrost? | back 95 solifluction |
front 96 Which of the rocks listed below is a popular building stone? | back 96 granite |
front 97 In terrain with steep hill slopes, which crop and cultivation technique will minimize soil erosion? | back 97 apples; land between the trees is planted in grass and not cultivated |
front 98 What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature? | back 98 diamond |
front 99 In the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, north-facing slopes (downhill direction is toward the north) are typically more moist and heavily forested than south-facing slopes. Why? | back 99 North-facing slopes receive about the same amount of precipitation as south-facing slopes; less moisture evaporates from north-facing slopes. |
front 100 Which of the following is NOT one of the eight most common elements in the Earth's crust? | back 100 carbon |
front 101 A natural levee is ________. | back 101 both a depositional feature and essentially parallel to its stream channel |
front 102 A stream begins at an elevation of 200 meters and flows a distance of 400 kilometers to the ocean. What is the average gradient? | back 102 0.5 m/km |
front 103 A ________ is the icicle-like speleothem that grows down from the roof of a cavern. | back 103 stalactite |
front 104 An artesian well is one in which ________. | back 104 water rises above the top of the aquifer without any pumping |
front 105 As stream discharge increases ________. | back 105 only velocity increases |
front 106 At a bend in a river, the main erosion is ________. | back 106 on the outside of the bend |
front 107 At the head of a delta, the major channel splits into smaller channels that follow different paths to the sea. These smaller channels are known as ________. | back 107 distributaries |
front 108 Caves most commonly form in ________. | back 108 limestone |
front 109 Erosional retreat of a ________ leads to enlargement and extension of a wave-cut platform in the inland direction. | back 109 wave-cut cliff |
front 110 Fetch refers to ________. | back 110 a large expanse of open water over which the wind blows and generates waves |
front 111 Hot springs are most numerous in which region of the United States? | back 111 West |
front 112 If you were to examine the profile of a typical river, you would probably find that the gradient is ________. | back 112 steepest near the head |
front 113 Large estuaries are more common on a(n) ________ coastline. | back 113 submergent |
front 114 Permeable rock strata or sediment that transmit groundwater freely are called ________. | back 114 aquifers |
front 115 The most common drainage pattern is ________. | back 115 dendritic |
front 116 The release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants is called ________. | back 116 transpiration |
front 117 The single most important erosional agent is ________. | back 117 running water |
front 118 The suspended load of a stream ________. | back 118 usually consists of fine particles |
front 119 The term karst topography was first used in ________. | back 119 the Republic of Slovenia, a province of the former Yugoslavia |
front 120 The water table is ________. | back 120 a boundary between saturated rock below and unsaturated rock above |
front 121 The world's largest river in terms of discharge is the ________. | back 121 Amazon |
front 122 When water is pumped from a well, a depression is often produced in the water table. Such a depression is a(n) ________. | back 122 cone of depression |
front 123 Which of the following best describes how geysers erupt? | back 123 With a slight reduction in pressure, water in a saturated, natural conduit suddenly boils, sending a plume of steam and hot water into the air above the vent. |
front 124 Which of the following features characterize meandering streams and valleys? | back 124 natural levees; broad floodplains |
front 125 Which of the following is associated with areas of karst topography? | back 125 – soluble rock – caverns – sinkholes all of these |
front 126 Which of the following is NOT part of the water cycle? | back 126 calcium carbonate dissolving in soil water and groundwater |
front 127 Which one of the following factors does NOT influence stream velocity? | back 127 discharge |
front 128 ________ are characteristics of downcutting streams and a youthful stage of valley evolution. | back 128 Rapids and lots of whitewater |
front 129 ________ describes the total sediment load transported by a stream. | back 129 Capacity |
front 130 ________ is an abandoned, cutoff, meander loop. | back 130 An oxbow |
front 131 ________ make up the suspended loads of most rivers and streams. | back 131 Silt and clay-sized, detrital grains |
front 132 ________ would have the largest capacity to naturally remove sewage pollutants. | back 132 Slightly clayey sand |