Exam 3 Fall 2017 old test Flashcards

1
Q

which soil and topography conditions will have the greatest infiltration rate

A

sandy soil and gentle slope

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2
Q

which of the following minerals is most likely to form a clay mineral during weathering

A

feldspar (KAlSi3O8)

goes through hydrolysis

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3
Q

what information do geologists use to estimate speeds of ancient rivers

A

grain size

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4
Q

what is predominant physical weathering process on Stone Mountain

A

exfoliation

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5
Q

one of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is

A

frost wedging

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6
Q

what is the difference between a rockslide and a rock avalanche

A

in a rockslide, the rocks move more or less as a unit; in a rock avalanche, the rocks move independently like a fluid

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7
Q

in what type of rock do most caves form

A

limestone

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8
Q

chemical stability is

A

a measure of a substance’s tendency to remain chemically inert

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9
Q

stalagmites

A

grow up from the floor of a cave

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10
Q

a drainage divide is a

A

topographic high that separates stream systems

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11
Q

acids enhance chemical weathering; what is the most common natural acid on the earth’s surface

A

carbonic acid

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12
Q

why are sand-sized particles easier to erode than clay sized particles

A

because clay particles are attracted to one another because of opposite charges, which hold them in place

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13
Q

which of the following will decrease the rate of chemical weathering of a rock at the earth’s surface

A

decreasing the temperature

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14
Q

telephone poles that lean slightly downhill are a likely result of which of the following processes

A

creep

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15
Q

suspended load includes all materail

A

temporarily or permanently suspended in the flow

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16
Q

which of the following minerals will have the greatest chemical stability

A

a mineral with a low solubility and a low rate of dissolution

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17
Q

where do deltas form

A

at river mouths

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18
Q

which of the following slopes of unconsolidated material will be the least stable

A

a slope greater than the angle of repose

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19
Q

if stream a and stream b flow together to form stream c then what must be true regarding stream c

A

stream discharge is greater than in A or B

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20
Q

pedocal soils

A

are characterized by little leaching, scant humus; form in arid (dry) climates; have abundant calcium carbonate nodules; all of the above

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21
Q

the main difference between a hot spring and a geyser lie sin the

A

regularity of the underground plumbing system

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22
Q

on a delta, smaller rivers that branch off downstream are called

A

distributaries

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23
Q

which of the following combinations make for the best groundwater reservoir

A

high permeability and high porosity

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24
Q

if a groundwater well is pumped for a long period of time it forms a

A

cone of depression

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25
Q

potholes in bedrock of riverbeds form by

A

abrasion

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26
Q

which of the following terms describes the total sediment load carried by a stream

A

capacity

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27
Q

the process by which surface water becomes groundwater is called

A

infiltration

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28
Q

two wells (A and B) are drilled into rocks that have the same porosity, but the rocks around well A have a higher permeability than those around well B; suppose both wells are pumped at the same rate; what statement is true

A

Well A will have a larger cone of depression

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29
Q

which of the following is characteristic of soil horizons

A

they are classified by assigned letters; they can be distinguished from one another by appearance and chemical composition; boundaries between soil horizons are usually transitional rather than sharp; all of the above

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30
Q

as a rock breaks into smaller pieces, the ration of surface area to volume

A

increases

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31
Q

what happens to the volume of water that passes from groundwater to streams during a prolonged drought

A

it decreases

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32
Q

what type of aquifer is bounded above and below by relatively impermeable beds

A

confined

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33
Q

the process whereby streams break apart and erode rock is called

A

abrasion

34
Q

what is the difference between the saturated and unsaturated zones of groundwater

A

the pore spaces in the saturated zone are full of water; the pore spaces in the unsaturated zone are not full of water

35
Q

which of the following minerals is most susceptible to oxidation

A

pyroxene (MgFeSi2O6) because of the iron

36
Q

laterite soils, also known as oxisols, are characterized by

A

intense leaching with accumulations of iron and aluminum oxides

37
Q

organic matter in the earth’s topsoil is called

A

humus

38
Q

an imaginary line below which a stream cannot erode is called

A

base level

39
Q

Assume a region receives plentiful rainfall and is underlain by an open aquifer composed of sand and gravel. Predict what is the best representation of the relationship between topography and water table

A

the water table will follow the slope of the land

40
Q

If a dam is build, sediment will ______ on the upstream side of the dame and sediment will ______ on the downstream side of the dam

A

accumulate

erod

41
Q

which of the following terms describes a curved, coarse-grained deposit that forms on the inside curve of a stream

A

point bar

42
Q

because of the undercutting action, waterfalls

A

retreat upstream

43
Q

a farmer drilled a well into an open aquifer compose of sand and gravel. He installed a septic system downslope from the drinking well. A few years later the septic system started to leak. Water tests showed that the well water was clean and uncontaminated by the bacteria in the septic system. Why did the septic system not contaminate the drinking water?

A

the groundwater flow carried water away from the well

44
Q

which of the following processes is not an example of chemical weathering

A

splitting of a rock along a fracture

45
Q

which soil horizon consists primarily of slightly altered, weathered bedrock

A

the C horizon

46
Q

which of the following minerals is most stable at the earth’s surface

A

hematite (Fe2O2)

47
Q

if rain falls on a gentle slope, which scenario will increase recharge of an unconfined (open) aquifer

A

heavy rain on sand

48
Q

which of the following statements about groundwater in coastal regions is TRUE

A

seawater is denser than fresh water; therefor, fresh groundwater floats on top of salty groundwater

49
Q

physical weathering is greatest at

A

high latitudes

50
Q

when a meandering stream eventually cuts off the meander then it forms an

A

oxbow lake

51
Q

because of human activity, sediment transported by streams has

A

increased dramatically

52
Q

soil with approximately equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay along with generous amounts of organic matter is called

A

loam

53
Q

which of the following rocks would be most affected by chemical weathering

A

limestone

54
Q

which of the following statements regarding floods is true

A

a 50 year flood has a 2% chance of occurring in any one year

55
Q

which of the following processes describes the general downhill movement of rock, soil, or unconsolidated materials under the influence of gravity

A

mass wasting

56
Q

discharge is expressed in units of

A

m^3/sec

57
Q

sinkholes are a possible danger to regions underlain by what type of bedrock

A

limestone

58
Q

a stream channel is narrowed by bridge construction. How will the velocity of flow change if the depth and discharge of the stream remain constant

A

velocity will increase

59
Q

what powers the hydrologic cycle

A

solar energy

60
Q

which location would have the potential for the best groundwater production

A

the area that is downhill and is made of sand and gravel

61
Q

kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4) weathers to gibbsite (Al(OH)3) through the process of

A

hydrolysis

62
Q

the accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff is called

A

talus

63
Q

which of the following represents the boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone

A

groundwater table

64
Q

a rapidly growing city within a humid climate zone experiences a land use change from predominantly crop land to mostly urban/suburban. A likely natural response would be

A

reduced infiltration and increased flooding

65
Q

which of the following minerals is least stable at the least stable at the earth’s surface

A

olivine ((MgFe)2SiO4)

66
Q

______ is the infiltration of water into the saturated zone, and ______ is the exit of groundwater to the surface

A

recharge

discharge

67
Q

layers that are impervious to groundwater flow are called

A

aquicludes

68
Q

what causes the deep red color of soils found in Georgia and other warm, humid regions

A

iron oxides

69
Q

how would the amount of rainfall change on the opposite side of a mountain from the ocean if that mountain was eroded down

A

rainfall would increase

70
Q

four stream gauging station locations are shown on the map; Assume the bedrock and topography is similar for each stream system; Predict which station will record the greatest discharge

A

D because it is at the end of a very long river

71
Q

what sort of sedimentary structure forms where rivers run into bodies of standing water

A

delta

72
Q

curves and bends in a stream channel are called

A

meanders

73
Q

according to Darcy’s law, which of the following aquifers will have the greatest rate of groundwater flow

A

an aquifer with high hydraulic conductivity and a high hydraulic gradient

74
Q

the town of Pleasantville is located at a meander bend in a floodplain. In order to reduce the threat of property loss due to erosion, Pleasantville’s engineer proposes the construction of the diversion structure. Along the course of the diversion, the stream gradient will be _______ than the gradient along the existing meander bend

A

greater

75
Q

which of the following is considered part of a stream’s bed load

A

gravel sliding along the bottom

76
Q

in a soil profile, organic matter is found

A

primarily in the A horizon

77
Q

has lots of sinkholes

A

karst topography

78
Q

has random drainage pattern

A

dendritic

79
Q

has angular joints of drainage

A

rectangular

80
Q

is similar looking to rectangular but flows between structures

A

trellis