Test 3 Flashcards
(155 cards)
0
Q
Which of the following is an endogenic process?
A
Volcanism
1
Q
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
A
Radioactive decay heat exigencies energy source
2
Q
Which of the following is an exogenic process?
A
Weathering
3
Q
Which of the following plays a role in the shaping of earth’s surface?
A
All of the above
4
Q
Which of the following lists the correct sequence of divisions in the geologic time scale, from largest to smallest
A
Eon, era, period, epoch
5
Q
There are two types of time
A
Absolute and relative
6
Q
When geologists or archaeologists dig downward into a unit of rock or sediment, they are digging “back in time”. This fact is based on the principle of _____
A
Superposition
7
Q
Which of the following is not an example of an age relationship based on absolute dating?
A
The coconino formation in the Grand Canyon is older than the kaibab formation
8
Q
Radioactivity dating only can be used to measure relative time
A
False
9
Q
The decay rate is expressed as _____, the time required for one half of the unstable atoms in a sample to decay into “daughter” isotopes
A
Half life
10
Q
Uniformitarianism assumes that ten same physical processes we see today are a key to understand the processes that have been operating throughout the geologic time
A
True
11
Q
Knowledge of earths interior is derived from
A
Indirect evidence involving the analysis of seismic waves
12
Q
Earth was once in a molten state, during which materials became sorted based on density
A
True
13
Q
Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in the earth, from the surface to the center?
A
Crust, atmosphere, lower mantle, core
14
Q
Since the core’s mass is about one third of earths entire mass, the volume of the core is also of one third of the earths entire volume
A
False
15
Q
The fluid outer core generates 90% of earths magnetic field
A
True
16
Q
Which of the following statements about earths core is not true
A
The inner core is believed to be liquid and the outer core solid
17
Q
Earths magnetic field
A
Is variable, and it has phased to zero some nine time during the past 4 million years
18
Q
Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in the mantle, from bottom to top
A
Mantle, asthenosphere, upper mantle
19
Q
The asthenosphere can be described as
A
Plastic like
20
Q
Which of the following is true of the asthenosphere?
A
All of the above is true
21
Q
The density of material below the Moho is less than that above it
A
False
22
Q
The Moho mirrors the surface topography, I.e., high places on the surface of the earth overlies ares in which the Moho descends to greater depths, and vice versa
A
True
23
Q
The oceanic crust is less dense than the continental crust
A
False
24
Which layer of planet forms 80% of earths total volume, and has an average density of 4.5g/cm3
Mantle
25
The oceanic crust thickness is about ____ km
5
26
The average continental crust thickness is ____km
30
27
The principles of buoyancy and balance, when applied to earths crust, helps us to explain fluctuations unearths outer crust, a property known as
Isostatic adjustment
28
The transportation and deposition of materials by media powered by solar energy is the
Hydrologic cycle
29
Heat energy and new materials are brought to the surface from the interior by the
Tectonic cycle
30
The two most abundant chemical elements in earths crust are
Oxygen and silica
31
In 1912, German geophysicist and meteorologist; Alfred we genre first proposed the _____ hypothesis about the earths landmass migration
Continental drift
32
Which of the following are located along the mid ocean ridge
Volcanoes
33
At which of the following locations does subduction occur
Along collision zones between continental and Oceanus plates
34
Oceans floor subducts under continents because the ocean floor is denser than continental material
True
35
Several large, linear lakes are formed in east Africa. This is evidence of what process?
Rifting
36
Divergent plate boundaries are characteristics of
Sea floor spreading centers
37
Depth of earthquake focus increases with increasing distance form ocean trench
True
38
The magnetic strips found around mid Atlantic ridge were due to the magnetic reversal
True
39
The Hawaiian islands were formed as a result of a rising plume of magma from the mantle
True
40
Convergent plates boundaries are characteristics of
Collision zones between plates
41
The age of sea floor increases with increasing distance from a mid ocean ridge
True
43
Vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as
Relief
44
The most detailed order of relief applies to _______ order relief features
Third
45
Which of the following is an example of a first order relief?
An ocean basin
46
Approximately what % of Earth's surface is exposed above sea level?
29%
47
The mean sea level is at 0m
TRUE
48
Hypsographic Curve is a graph that shows the Earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level
TRUE
49
The combination effects of _______ and _______ create Earth's continental crust.
Tectonic activity, Weathering & Erosion
50
powered by internal energy
tectanic
51
powered by the sun through motion of air, water and ice
weathering & erosion
52
Compared to oceanic crust, continental crust is
Generally more complex on content and structure
53
A _____, or heartland region, an old and stable part of the continental crust.
craton
54
A _______ is a region where a craton is exposed at the surface.
continental shield
55
If you were paranoid of earthquakes, which of the following areas would be the safest to live?
Shield
56
Earth's four continental shields
Canadian, African, baltic, Indian
57
Rocks are subjected to stress due to ____
all of the above
58
List three types of stress:
Tension, Compression, Shear
59
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
Shearing -- Stretching
60
Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests. The layers near the crest form
An anticline
61
A residual "synclinal ridge" may form within a trough of a fold
TRUE
62
When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit, displacement occurs in a process known as
Faulting
63
Normal faults are associated with
Tension forces
64
The San Andreas system in California is an example of a
all of these are correct
65
People often say that California is going to "fall into the ocean". This idea is totally wrong because the San Andreas fault would have to be a _____ fault associated with _____ for this to happen.
Normal; Tension
66
Orogeny means mountain generating
TRUE
67
Tree types of orogenesis
Oceanic-Continental; Oceanic-Oceanic; Continental Plate-Continental
68
Which of the following is true of the earthquake in the Liaoning Province of NE China on February 4, 1975.
The quake was successfully forecasted and 3 million people were evacuated.
69
The motion of seismic waves is initiated in subsurface area along the fault plane called the
Focus, or hypocenter
70
The area at the surface directly above the subsurface location where seismic waves are initiated is termed the
Epicenter
71
The most active tectonic regions of North and South America are on the
Western coasts
72
An instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the
Seismograph
73
Two types of scale used to rate earthquakes are
Richter Scale; Moment Magnitude Scale
74
The moment magnitude scale is based on energy released and is less accurate than Richter's Scale which is based on the amplitude of seismic waves.
FALSE
75
Volcanic activity located away from plate boundaries is associated with
Hot spots
76
Four volcanic activity zones
Continental Rift Valley; Oceanic-Continental Plate Convergence Zone; Hot-Spot Volcano; Oceanic/Oceanic Plate Convergence Zone
77
Science that specifically studies the origin, evolution, form and spatial distribution of landforms is
Geomorphology
78
All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term of
Denudation
79
The form that a landscape exhibits results from a balance between
all of the above
80
The dynamic equilibrium model refers to
A balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation by weathering and erosion in a given landscape
81
In reality, a landscape behaves as a(n) _____ system
Open
82
Uplift of the landscape creates _____ energy which is converted to _____ energy when materials begin to move downslope.
Potential; Kinetic
83
After a threshold is crossed, the landscape
Adjusts to a new equilibrium condition
84
_____ threshold is the point at which there is enough energy to overcome resistance against movements.
Geomorphic
85
Movement at the geomorphic threshold signals
A conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy
86
a slope is stable if its strength exceeds the weathering and erosion process
TRUE
87
On which part of a slope would rocks tend to fall at the highest speed?
free face
88
The disintegration and dissolving of surface and subsurface rock is called
Weathering
89
Which of the following is true of joints
only B and C are true
90
Physical weathering dominates in warm and wet climates
FALSE
91
Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of
Higher mean annual rainfall and temperature
92
In which climates would rock be weathered to the greatest depth?
Hot and wet
93
The rate at which rocks weather depends on
all of the above
94
Other than the rock itself, the most important chemical substance needed for the majority of weathering processes is
Water
95
In most areas, the upper surface of bedrock is partially weathered to broken-up rock called
Regolith
96
When rock is broken and disintegrated without dissolving, the process in operation is
Physical weathering
97
List three forms of physical weathering
Frost Action; Salt-Crystal Growth; Pressure-Release Jointing
98
The pressure-release jointing is a ______ weathering process that does not involve water.
Physical
99
The salt crystal growth is primarily found in _____ environments
Arid
100
Exfoliation occurs because
Overlaying rock is removed, thereby allowing the underlying rock mass to expand and fracture
101
Which of the following is true of spheroidal weathering
It attacks the corners and edges of rocks
102
An example of chemical weathering is
Karst topography
103
The steepness of a slope made of loose material is called the
Angle of repose
104
The angle of repose depends on the size and texture of the grains
TRUE
105
Landslides occur when
all of the above
106
List two forms of landslides
Translational and Rotational
107
A landslide differs from a debris avalanche in that
A landslide moves more slowly than a debris avalanche
108
A slow persistent mass movement of surface soil is called
Soil creep
109
Which of the following can lead to hillslope failure?
all of the above
110
Human-induced mass movements produce a category of processes known as
Scarification
111
The two driving forces of fluvial systems are
Gravity and Insolation
112
Of the world's largest rivers, which has the greatest discharge?
Amazon River
113
Watersheds are defined by
Drainage divides
114
Drainage density refers to
Ratio of the total length of channels to the area of the basin
115
Most streams flow into ocean
TRUE
116
Some streams do not reach the ocean. Water leaves the basin through evaporation or subsurface gravitational flow. Such basins are called ______ basins
Internal drainage
117
______ separate drainage basins and send flows to the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantics, Hudson Bay, or the Arctic Ocean.
Continental Divides
118
A watershed is a(n) open system
TRUE
119
Stream discharge is calculated by multiplying the velocity of the stream by its width and depth for a specific cross section of the channel.
TRUE
120
As the discharge of a stream increases, which of the following also happens?
Width, depth, and velocity all increase.
121
Which of the following unit is a correct unit for stream discharge?
m^3/s
122
cfs is a unity of stream discharge and stands for cubic feet per second
TRUE
123
The relationship between stage and stream discharge is called ______ curve
stage-discharge rating
124
A graph of stream discharge over time for a specific place is called ______
Hydrograph
125
The effect of urbanization on a typical stream hydrograph is to
Decrease lag time between storm peak and peak stream discharge.
126
Although the Nile River is the longest river on Earth, it is not the largest river in terms of discharge
TRUE
127
Some streams may originate in a humid region and subsequently flow through an arid region. Thus, the discharge may decrease with distance, because of high potential evapotranspiration. Such streams are called _____ streams.
Exotic
128
The length of the individual channels in a dendritic drainage pattern is _____ and this increases energy _____
Minimized; Efficiency
129
Rectangular drainage patterns form primarily as a result of _____
Flow through faulted landscape
130
Which of the following stream channel types is likely to develop on gently sloping surfaces composed of rocks or sediments with approximately the same resistance to erosion?
Dendritic
131
The valley and ridge province is characterized by which drainage pattern?
Trellis
132
Which drainage pattern is produced by folded topography?
Trellis
133
Steep slopes and some relief generally produce which drainage pattern?
Parallel
134
A central peak, such as volcanic mountain, generally produces a ______ drainage pattern.
Radial
135
The glacial shield regions of Canada have disrupted surface drainage patterns that are called ____ patterns
Deranged
136
Stream transport involves all of the following except
Sheet flow
137
The suspended load of a stream consists of particles that are
Held aloft in the stream flow
138
As a stream velocity decreases, which of the following sizes of sediments will be deposited last?
Clay
139
Braided streams are characterized by
Sediment deposition in the channel resulting in the formation of sand and gravel bars and numerous small channels/a heavy load in relation to discharge
140
A cutoff on a meandering stream results in the formation of
An oxbow lake
141
Which of the following is true of the longitudinal profile of most rivers
It is concave in shape
142
An interruption in a stream's longitudinal profile of equilibrium is called _____
Nickpoint
143
Which of the following will favor stream terrace formation?
Tectonic uplift of the headwaters
144
Which of the following does not favor delta formation?
Strong ocean currents
145
Since the Amazon River is the largest river in terms of discharge, it also produce(s) a large delta at its mouth.
FALSE
146
The youngest epoch in the geologic time scale is
holocene
147
The earth's dominant materials are
iron and silica
148
the geologic cycle is composed of three subsystems:
hydrolic, rock, tectonic
149
the 3 basic rock types are
igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
150
fire-formed, molten rock
igneous
151
rock from settling out
sedimentary
152
rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat or pressure
metamorphic
153
Wegener used _____ to name a supercontinent approx 225 million years ago
pangaea
154
List four evidences Wegener used to prove his hypothesis
costal lines, fossils, rock types, ancient climates
155
list three types of plate boundaries
divergent, convergent, transform
