Exam 3 Random old test Flashcards
after oceans which of the following reservoirs contains the most water
the glaciers and polar ice caps
the process by which surface water becomes groundwater is called
infiltration
what powers the hydrologic cycle
solar energy
the release of water vapor from plants is called
transpiration
when looking at a cross section of a coastal mountain range what area receives the most rain
the side of the mountain closest to the ocean
which of the following regions has the highest annual surface runoff
western washington because of the ocean and mountain range; think Seattle
what is the difference between the saturated and unsaturated zones of groundwater
the pore spaces in the saturated zone are full of water; the pore spaces in the unsaturated zone are not full of water
which of the following statements about the groundwater table is true
the groundwater table has the same general shape as the topography
what represents the boundary between the saturated zone and unsaturated zone
groundwater table
_____ is the infiltration of water into the saturated zone, and ____ is the exit of ground water to the surface
recharge
discharge
because of human activity, sediment transported by streams has
increased dramatically
which term describes the total sediment load carried by a stream
capacity
suspended load includes all material
temporarily or permanently suspended in the flow
which of the following is considered part of a stream’s bed load
gravel sliding along the bottom
as the velocity of a stream current increases
more of the bed material is in motion
which of the following particles is the most easily eroded from the bed of a stream
sand
which of the following materials is most likely to be transported as suspended load
clay
in a sand dune in a river, _____ occurs on the upstream side of the dune and _____ occurs on the downstream side of the dune
erosion
deposition
a curved, coarse-grained deposit that forms on the inside curve of a stream
point bar
curves and bends in a stream channel are called
meanders
at a bend in a river, ___ occurs on the outside of the bend and ____ occurs on the inside of the bend
erosion
depostion
oxbow lakes are associated with which of the following types of rivers
meandering rives
in which of the following locations would one most likely find a braided stream
at the edge of a melting glacier
the volume of water flowing past a given point in a given time is called the
discharge
what is the most fertile area for crops
a floodplain
what is the correct discharge equation
discharge= width x depth x velocity
for most rivers discharge _____ downstream
increases
at any point in a river, the equilibrium between erosion of the streambed and sedimentation in the channel is controlled by
climate, stream flow, topography
describes the shape of the longitudinal profile of a stream
a concave upward curve
if a dam is build, sediment will _____ on the upstream side of the dam and sediment will ______ on the downstream side of the dam
accumulate
erode
large cone-shaped deposits of sediment at a mountain front are called
alluvial fans
what is a true statement regarding stream terraces is true
terraces are composed of floodplain deposits and form as a result of rapid uplift
what type of drainage is randome
dendritic
what type of drainage network would you expect to find on a volcano
radial drainage
where do deltas form
at river mouths
on a delta, smaller rivers that branch off downstream are called
distributaries
due to the undercutting action, waterfalls
retreat upstream
the process whereby sand grains jump along the streambed during transport
saltation
the topographic rise between two streams is called a
divide
what sort of sedimentary structure forms where rives run into bodies of standing water
delta
in what climate will chemical weathering be the most rapid
hot and humid
what is the most stable mineral at the earth’s surface
hematite
which of the following minerals is least stable at the earth’s surface
olivine
what mineral is most likely to form a clay mineral during weathering
feldspar because of hydrolysis
as a rock breaks into smaller pieces, the ratio of surface area to volume
increases
which of the following chemical species is not produced by the chemical weathering of potassium feldspar (orthoclase)
water H2O
most common acid on the earth’s surface
carbonic acid
what happens to the potassium (K) in feldspar during chemical weathering
it dissolves in the water
what is a form of chemical weathering
dissolution
what type of mineral will have the greatest chemical stability
a mineral with a low solubility and a low rate of dissolution
what will decrease the rate of chemical weathering of a rock at the earth’s surface
decreasing the temperature
what mineral is most susceptible to oxidation
pyroxene
what causes the deep red color of soils found in Georgia and other warm, humid regions
iron oxides
what is not an example of chemical weathering
splitting a rock along a fracture
what is an example of physical weathering
the splitting or a rock by a tree root
physical weathering is greatest at
high latitudes
organic matter in the earth’s topsoils is called
humus
in a soil profile organic matter is found
primarily in the A horizon
which soil horizon consists of primarily of slightly altered, weathered bedrock
the c horizon
which of the following forces is the dominant cause of mass movement
gravity
what is not an important factor in causing mass movements
temperature of slope materials; amount of water, steepness and instability of slopes, and nature of slope materials are all important
a hill consisting of loose, dry sand that slopes at the angle of repose and has no vegetation
is stable unless oversteepened by excavation, may flow if it becomes saturated with water, and will be more stable if vegetation takes root on the hill
______ form steeper slopes than ____
angular pebbles
coarse sand
which of the following has the steepest angle of repose
damp sand
which of the following slopes of unconsolidated material will be the least stable
a slope greater than the angle of repose
stripping soil of vegetation by burning or deforestation will _____ the likelihood of mass movements
increase
the accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff is called a
talus
in what class of mass movement does the material move as if it were a fluid
flows
what type of mass movement could a person not outrun
debris avalanche
a slow slide of unconsolidated material that travels as a unit is called
a slump
what process only occurs in permafrost regions
solifluction
in what climate will chemical weathering be the slowest
cold and dry
what rock would be most affected by chemical weathering
marble
one of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is
frost wedging
what information do geologists use to estimate speeds of ancient rivers
grain size
