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Quiz 9
Geology100
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep, bedrock slope or cliff? | talus slope |
| ________ denotes the exposed, crescent-shaped rupture surface at the head of a slump. | Scarp |
| 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? | It will decrease as the slope angle is lessened |
| How do the strength and cohesion of clay-rich regolith or soil change with the addition of water? | Water lowers the strength and cohesion |
| ________ involves movement on a zone of compressed air. | A rock avalanche |
| Of the following, which one would most likely be triggered by an earthquake? | rock avalanche |
| Which one of the following operates primarily in areas of permafrost? | solifluction |
| Which statement best describes slumping, a mass wasting process? | a block or blocks of unconsolidated regolith slide downhill along a curved slip surface |
| Which mass wasting process has the slowest rate of movement? | creep |
| All of the following are factors affecting mass wasting except for ________. | geologic age |
| The most rapid type of mass movement is a ________. | rock avalanche |
| As an erosional process, how is mass wasting unique from wind, water, and ice? | Mass wasting does not require a transporting medium |
| Which of the following mass movements is most likely to occur in a geologic setting where the rock strata are inclined? | rockslide |
| Which of the following statements concerning mudflows is NOT true? | Mudflows deposit talus slopes |
| How do freezing, thawing, wetting, and drying contribute to soil creep? | The soil expands and contracts, lifting particles and dropping them a slight distance downslope. |
| All of the following are possible indicators that creep is occurring except for ________. | an extremely thick soil profile |
| Slump describes the very slow, downhill movement of soil and regolith | False |
| The steepest, stable, slope angle possible in unconsolidated, granular materials like sand and gravel is called the angle of retention. | False |
| Solifluction occurs during the warmer summer months. | True |
| Repeated freezing and thawing can be important in soil creep movements. | True |
| Lahars are essentially mudflows associated with volcanoes and volcanism. | True |
| Solifluction is an important mass wasting process in areas of permafrost. | True |
| A triggering mechanism, such as heavy rains or an earthquake, are necessary for mass wasting to occur. | False |
| Earthflows and slumps generally involve movement of unconsolidated or weakly consolidated soil and regolith. | True |
| Bedding planes and fractures can both act as slip surfaces for rockslides. | True |
| A scarp is the exposed portion of the rupture surface beneath a slump block. | True |
| The release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants is called ________. | transpiration |
| Which one of the following statements is correct? | Sea level drops when water is stored in expanding ice sheets and continental glaciers. |
| Which of the following is the correct definition of stream gradient? | the drop in elevation of a stream divided by the distance the water travels |
| A natural, meandering, river channel is modified into a more or less straight and smooth, canal-like channel. Which of the following statements is correct? | The natural channel had a lower gradient and higher friction than the straight channel |
| Which of the following is NOT part of the water cycle? | calcium carbonate dissolving in soil water and groundwater |
| Which of the following must result in a lower base level for rivers and streams? | sea level falls; land rises |
| Which one of the following factors does NOT influence stream velocity? | discharge |
| The world's largest river in terms of discharge is the ________. | Amazon |
| If you were to examine the profile of a typical river, you would probably find that the gradient is ________. | steepest near the head |
| ________ make up the suspended loads of most rivers and streams. | Silt and clay-sized, detrital grains |
| At a bend in a river, the main erosion is ________. | on the outside of the bend |
| ________ describes the total sediment load transported by a stream. | Capacity |
| 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 ________. | distributaries |
| A natural levee is ________. 1. an erosional feature 2. a depositional feature 3. essentially parallel to its stream channel | both B and C 1.a depositional feature 2.essentially parallel to its stream channel |