9: Weathering and Mass Wasting

Question 1

overall effect of the disintegration, wearing away, and removal of rock material.

occurs due to the interaction of three types of activities—weathering, mass wasting, and erosion.

Answer 1

Denudation

Question 2

primarily responsible for producing variations in

the Earth’s ever-changing topography.

Answer 2

weathering, mass wasting, and erosion

Question 3

cause rock to break down into smaller particles and to

decompose chemically at the Earth’s surface

Answer 3

weathering processes

Question 4

breaking down of rock into smaller components by atmospheric
and biotic agents

Answer 4

Weathering

Question 5

involves the relatively short-distance downslope movement of
broken rock material under the direct influence of gravity

Answer 5

Mass wasting

Question 6

consists of the removal, transportation, and eventual deposition of
fragmented rock material over wider areas and sometimes to greater distances as
compared to mass wasting by an erosional agent.

Answer 6

Erosion

Question 7

disintegration of rock into smaller fragments of the
same mineral composition by processes such as frost action, salt-crystal growth,
and unloading.

Answer 7

Physical weathering

Question 8

decomposition of rock resulting from

mineral alteration processes such as hydrolysis, oxidation, and acid solution

Answer 8

Chemical weathering

Question 9

weathered material covering the underlying bedrock

source of sediment carried by wind, water, and glacial ice, and the parent material for soil development.

Answer 9

regolith

Question 10

one of the most important physical weathering processes in cold
climates.

occurs when water freezes in joints in the rock, and the expansion of
the water during repeated freezing forces the joints to enlarge

Answer 10

Frost action

Question 11

operates extensively in dry climates and is the result of the growth of
salt crystals in rock pores.

Groundwater moves to the surface through capillary
action and evaporates, leaving the salts behind producing grain by grain breakup of sandstone

Answer 11

Salt crystal

weathering

Question 12

form of physical weathering that occurs when the
removal of overlying layers causes the rock to expand, cracking in layers parallel to
the surface that break away from the rock in sheets

Answer 12

Unloading

Question 13

occur when rocks are subject to intense heating and

cooling and through the growth of plant roots that can wedge rocks apart

Answer 13

Physical weathering

Question 14

The chemical weathering processes of _____ change rock

minerals into clay minerals and oxides

Answer 14

hydrolysis and oxidation

Question 15

most commonly due to the work of weak solutions of carbonic acid dissolving certain rocks, particularly
limestone and marble

Answer 15

Acid action

Question 16

spontaneous downhill movement of soil, regolith, and rock on
slopes under the influence of gravity

Answer 16

Mass wasting

Question 17

more susceptible to

mass wasting than bedrock.

Answer 17

Regolith and soil

Question 18

gradual downhill movement of particles as they are rearranged by
wetting and drying, freezing, and thawing and other processes.

Answer 18

Soil creep

Question 19

Water-saturated

regolith can move quickly down a slope in an ____

Answer 19

earthflow

Question 20

develop when intense rains fall on exposed soil surfaces

Answer 20

Mudflows and debris

floods

Question 21

A large mass

of bedrock which breaks free from a slope can slide rapidly downhill as a ____

Answer 21

landslide

Question 22

can be induced both by natural processes

and by human activities

Answer 22

Earthflows, mudslides, and landslides

Question 23

Human activities that extract mineral

resources involve ___ of the land surface.

Answer 23

scarification