lecture test 3 Flashcards
Over time, mass wasting causes __________
a. Canyons to widen
b. Canyons to incise
c. Terrain to become more steep
d. Canyons to become more narrow
canyons to widen
__________ is not a trigger for mass wasting
a. Oversteepening of a slope
b. Adding water to sediments
c. Water flowing in a stream
d. An earthquake
water flowing in a stream
Which would increase stream flow velocity?
a. Decreasing the gradient
b. Having a narrow, deep channel
c. Having a small drainage basin
d. Having many boulders in the bed of the channel
having a narrow, deep channel
true or false
When a stream enters a large body of water, capacity and competence decrease.
true
For a meandering stream, the majority of deposition occurs __________
a. At waterfalls
b. In the point bar
c. In the cut bank
d. At the outside of a bend
in the point bar
true or false
A natural levee is a ridge of flood deposits far from a river channel.
false
What type of drainage pattern develops on isolated volcanic peaks:
a. Radial
b. Rectangular
c. Dendritic
d. Trellis (Piracy)
radial
Which type of flooding occurs in north flowing rivers in the Northern Hemisphere with the onset of spring?
a. Regional
b. Flash
c. Ice-jam
d. Dam failure
ice-jam
What is infiltration:
a. Plants taking in water
b. The transition from liquid to gas from higher temperatures
c. Water soaking into the ground
d. Water running into a channel
water soaking into the ground
In a disconnected losing stream, ____________.
a. Water table is lower than stream surface and is in contact with the stream bed
b. Water table is lower than the stream surface and is separated from the bed
c. Water table is higher than the stream surface and is in contact with the stream bed
d. Water table is higher than the stream surface and is separated from the bed
water table is lower than the stream surface and is separated from the bed
Which of the following has the highest permeability?
a. Basalt
b. Limestone
c. Sandstone
d. Non-fractured granite
limestone
In order for an aquifer to be useful for human consumption, what kind of porosity and permeability should it have?
a. High porosity and low permeability
b. Low porosity and low permeability
c. High porosity and high permeability
d. Low porosity and low permeability
high porosity and high permeability
When would the cone of depression stop enlarging?
a. When the amount of water flowing toward the well is greater than the amount being pumped out
b. The amount of water flowing away from the well is greater than the amount being pumped out
c. When the amount of water flowing toward the well is equal to the amount being pumped out
d. When the amount of water flowing away from the well is equal to the amount being pumped out
when the amount of water flowing toward the well is equal to the amount being pumped out
The water table will fall when _________________.
a. The well is pumped at an unsustainable rate/ drought
b. A well is pumped at a sustainable rate/ drought
c. A well is pumped at an unsustainable rate/ high precipitation
d. A well is pumped at a sustainable rate/ high precipitation
the well is pumped at an unsustainable rate/drought
true or false
marine terraces are indicative of a submergent coastline
false
which of the following statements about a mineral reserve is FALSE?
a. The valuable element in the reverse must have a high enough concentration to be mined profitably
b. Does not change over time
c. Can change with improvements in technology
d. Can change with economic changes
Does not change over time
Surface feature created by wind erosion
blowout
Outflow of water where an aquitard intersects with the land surface
spring
Wind blown silt sized sediment
loess
Product of a debris flow in an arid environment
alluvial fan
Occurs in regions underlain by permafros
solifluction
Type of mass wasting that produces a talus slope
fall
Type of mass wasting that involves materials moving as a viscous fluid
flow
Process that causes dissolution of limestone bedrock in a stream
corrosion
Glacial feature associated with waterfalls
hanging valleys
Process by which bed load is transported
saltation
Which of the following is a renewable resource?
a. Aluminum
b. Trees
c. Coal
d. Oil
trees
A rainshadow desert forms ______.
a. near glaciers
b. on the leeward side of a mountain
c. on the windward side of a mountain
d. in a high-pressure zone
on the leeward side of a mountain
Yosemite National Park is prone to ________ because of ________, which is a type of mechanical weathering due to the expansion and fracturing of igneous plutons when they are exposed at the surface.
a. debris slides; dissolution
b. rock falls; oxidation
c. debris slides; sheeting
d. rock falls; sheeting
rock falls; sheeting
What ultimately causes a spit to develop?
a. a rip current
b. The longshore current gains energy.
c. a tidal current
d. The longshore current reduces its energy.
the longshore current reduces its energy
Which of the following methods to counteract beach erosion do coastal scientists consider the best permanent option?
a. Jetties
b. Relocation of at-risk structures
c. Sea walls
d. Beach nourishment
relocation of at-risk structures
_____ is a trigger for mass wasting.
a. Oversteepening a slope
b. Adding water to sediments
c. Removing vegetation
d. All of the above
all of the above
Which renewable energy resource makes up the largest share of Iceland’s energy?
a. Wind energy
b. Hydroelectric power
c. Tidal power
d. Geothermal energy
geothermal energy
For a meandering stream, the majority of erosion occurs _____.
a. In the point bar
b. In the cut bank
c. At the inside of a bend
d. No erosion occurs
in the cut bank
______ is the horizontal distance between successive wave crests.
a. Wave height
b. Wave period
c. Wavelength
d. Tidal height
wavelength
What type of drainage pattern develops on highly jointed bedrock?
a. Radial
b. Dendritic
c. Rectangular
d. Trellis
rectangular
Which of the following would increase stream flow velocity?
a. Lowering the water depth in the stream
b. Decreasing the gradient
c. Having a narrow, deep channel
d. Having many boulders in the bed of the channel
having a narrow, deep channel
What provides most ocean waves with their energy?
a. volcanic activity on the ocean floor
b. boats passing through
c. earthquakes
d. the wind
the wind
Of the following options, which is the most common type of chemical weathering in a desert?
a. Oxidation
b. Hydrolysis
c. Salt-crystal growth
d. Frost wedging
oxidation
As a river flows from headwaters to the mouth _____.
a. channel slope increases and flow velocity increases
b. channel roughness increases and discharge increases
c. flow velocity increases and channel slope decreases
d. discharge decreases and flow velocity decreases
flow velocity increases and channel slop decreases
What size sediment can be transported by glaciers?
a. Gravel and sediment larger than gravel
b. Only clay
c. Only silt and sand
d. All sediment sizes
all sediment sizes
Which of the following statements about mudflows is false?
a. Flowing mixture of debris and water
b. Generally flows along a channel
c. Dominantly course-grained material
d. Can be associated with volcanic eruptions
dominantly coarse-grained material
In a gaining stream, _____.
a. the stream is always disconnected from the water table by the unsaturated zone
b. groundwater adds to streamflow and the water table is higher than the stream surface
c. groundwater adds to streamflow and the water table is lower than the stream surface
d. streamflow adds to groundwater and the water table is lower than the stream surface
groundwater adds to streamflow and the water table is higher than the stream surface
Which of the following is an erosional feature?
a. Dripstone
b. Stalactite
c. Stalagmite
d. Tower karst
tower karst
The upper boundary of the zone of wastage is ______.
a. the zone of fracture
b. the zone of plastic flow
c. the snowline
d. a region of crevasses
the snowline
Which of the following materials has the highest porosity?
a. Limestone
b. Sandstone
c. Non-fractured granite
d. Clay
clay
What is the name of bowl-shaped depression at the head of a valley glacier?
a. Arête
b. Cirque
c. Horn
d. Tarn
cirque
The subsurface zone in which the pore spaces are completely filled with water is called the:
a. Unsaturated zone
b. Zone of saturation
c. Capillary fringe
d. Zone of soil moisture
zone of saturation
Which of the following is a characteristic feature of an emergent coastline?
a. Tombolo
b. Drowned river mouth
c. Marine terrace
d. Barrier island
marine terrace
Which of the following can be an economically important hydrothermal deposit?
a. Placer deposits
b. Oil sands
c. Black smoker
d. Diamonds
black smoker
An artesian well must tap into ______.
a. crystalline bedrock
b. an aquitard
c. a perched water table
d. a confined aquifer
an aquitard
Using the map above, what is the aquifer’s flow direction?
a. North
b. South
c. East
d. West
East
Well A is 500 feet deep and well B is 200 feet deep. If well A and well B are pumped at the same rate and the rate exceeds aquifer recharge, what will happen?
a. Nothing, both wells can produce water forever
b. Both wells will go dry at the same time
c. Well A will go dry first
d. Well B will go dry first
well B will go dry first
true or false
During the beginning of an interglacial period, sea level will fall.
false
true or false
A nonflowing artesian well is drilled into a confined aquifer.
true
true or false
Slot canyons form in unconsolidated sediment.
false
true or false
isostatic uplift occurred during the last great ice age.
false
true or false
Slump is the slow migration of surface materials resulting from repeated expansion and contraction.
false
true or false
The eye wall of a hurricane is where the most intense rain and wind are located
true
true or false
Levees are never naturally formed.
false
true or false
Drainage in a swamp runs perpendicular to the main river flow direction
false
true or false
Geysers are more common in the western United States because igneous activity has occurred more recently in the area.
true
true or false
Borax and evaporate minerals are mined from playas.
true
which kind of rock would be an ideal cap rock?
a. shale
b. limestone
c. sandstone
d. conglomerate
shale
main source of weathering and erosion in deserts
water
Which of the following is a wind deposit?
a. Bajadas
b. Barchan dunes
c. Alluvial fan
d. Yardang
barchan dunes
Which renewable energy resource is generated in the Great Planes?
a. Wind energy
b. Hydroelectric power
c. Tidal power
d. Geothermal energy
wind energy
mass wasting
makes a “V” shaped valley
plate tectonics and orogeneisis create slopes + fuel landscape development
weathering is followed by MW
MW + running water produce stream valleys
rugged mountains are subdued over geo. time
variety of topography and materials affect MW characteristics
classification of mass wasting processes are based on
material involved… (ex. debris, mud, earth, rock)
motion displayed… (fall, slide, flow)
velocity of movement
triggers
DO NOT ALWAYS NEED TRIGGERS FOR MW
saturation of materials w/ water (reduces friction)
oversteeping of slopes
removal of anchoring vegetation (natural events: forest fire “burns the ground”, insect infestation; human design: farming, logging, development)
ground vibrations from earthquakes
thermal stressing
Infiltration
water moving into pore spaces in the ground
Transpiration
plants pull water from soil and release it into the atmosphere
Outlet
the lowest point in a drainage basin where the stream or river exits the basin
Factors affecting flow velocity
Gradient
Channel shape
Wetted perimeter: the area where the river is in contact with the channel (less surface area = higher velocity)
Channel size
Channel roughness
Discharge: volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time
A _____ is the first step to soil erosion/sediment movement
raindrop
Types of sediment transportation in a stream
Dissolved load (ions) Suspended load (silt, clay) Bedload (sand, gravel, boulders) (bouncing, sliding, rolling)
dissolved load- sediment transportation
ions
suspended load- sediment transportation
silt, clay
bedload- sediment transportation
sand, gravel, boulders
bouncing, sliding, rolling
Drainage Patterns
Dendritic: branchy
Rectangular: blocky
Radial: high point- looks like a star
Trellis: one main channel then cuts through ridges
dendritic drainage pattern characteristic
branchy
rectangular drainage pattern characteristic
blocky
radial drainage pattern characteristic
high point- looks like a star
trellis drainage pattern characteristic
one main channel then cuts through ridges
Ice Jam Floods
occur in north-flowing rivers in the northern hemisphere
Methods for reducing flood impacts:
Artificial levees
Channelization
Flood-control dams
Non-structural approach
______ is the largest reservoir of readily available freshwater
groundwater
Aquifer
rock strata or sediment that stores and transmits groundwater freely
Water Table
the upper limit of the zone of saturation. A subdued replica of the topography
gaining streams and losing streams
Gaining Streams: water table is higher than stream surface
Losing Streams: water table is lower than stream surface
cone of depression
water table forms a cone shape after a deep well sucks large amounts of water out of the water table.
artesian systems
when groundwater is under pressure
creates artesian wells
geysers
intermittent hot springs or fountains in which columns of water erupt with force.
Formed when superheated water in underground caverns turns to steam and rises up.
how many caves are there in the US?
17,000
two types of glaciers
Alpine: valleys of mountainous areas
Ice Sheets: on continents, large areas
zone of accumulation
more snow falls each winter than melts each summer
zone of wastage
more snow melting than accumulating
how much of the earths surface is covered by dry regions?
30%
saltation
transportation of sediment by wind, sand grains knock each other off of sand dunes
blowout
land surface (soil) moved to a new location
controlled by water table (lower water table, more blowout)
lowest limit of a blowout is the water table
what percentage of the US population lives close to a shoreline?
50%
emergent coast
elevated by tectonic forces
submergent coast
submerging former stream valleys in ocean
renewable resources
can be replenished by natural processes over relatively short time spans when used sustainably
non-renewable resources
form very slowly compared to the rate of consumption
examples of renewable resources
Wind Biomass waste Biofuels Wood Hydropower Solar Geothermal
examples of NONrenewable resources
Fossil fuels Coal Oil Oil sands Gas hydrates Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) Shale gas Nuclear energy using Uranium 235
cap rock
impermeable to petroleum movement
