Cha 14
How does the amount of a rock's surface area affect weathering?
The larger the area, the higher the rate of weathering.
All of the following are layers of mature residual soils EXCEPT a. humus. c. subsoil. b. topsoil. d. weathered bedrock.
humus
Tropical climates generally form soils in which the B horizon is covered by a thin layer of
humus
When overlaying rocks are removed from granite that formed deep beneath Earth's surface, pressure decreases, and the granite cracks into large, curved sheets through a process called
joints
Which of the following is NOT a process of chemical weathering? a. carbonation c. acid precipitation b. oxidation d. exfoliation
exfoliation
a horizontal layer of soil that is clearly different from the layers above and below it
horizon
In what climates is the weathering rate slowest?
hot, dry climates
a mineral resistant to mechanical and chemical weathering
quartz
Parent rock that contains large amounts of quartz, such as granite, will weather to form
sandy soil.
As a result of chemical weathering, even a hard rock such as granite can be turned into
sediment
the process by which water flows over a layer of soil and removes the topsoil
sheet erosion
a strong "glue" that enables sedimentary rock to resist weathering
silicates
Particles of rock material in soil with diameters from 0.002 to 0.05 mm are called
silt
The movement of a large block of soil and rock downhill in one piece when it becomes unstable is called a
slump
A soil conservation method of farming that uses alternating bands of crops is called
strip-cropping
Which of the following is NOT an agent of erosion? a. wind c. gravity b. glaciers d. sun
sun
the part of the rock that is exposed to agents of weathering
surface area
Which landform is NOT the result of weathering and erosion? a. mountains c. plateaus b. wetlands d. buttes
wetlands
What two processes are all landforms subject to? a. uplift and erosion c. slump and erosion b. gravity and exfoliation d. exfoliation and friction
uplift and erosion
Lichens and mosses produce weathering agents called
organic acids.
Which of the following is a form of mechanical weathering? a. oxidation c. hydrolysis b. abrasion d. carbonation
abrasion
Which of the following is NOT an agent of mechanical weathering? a. ice c. acid b. wind d. gravity
acid
Snow that weathers buildings in a city is an example of
acid precipitation.
Climates that have the fastest rate of weathering are
alternating hot and cold.
Which of the following describes a climate where you would expect to find thin soil consisting primarily of regolith with little evidence of humus? a. arctic c. temperate wet b. temperate dry d. tropical
arctic
Which of the following is NOT a common agent of erosion? a. water c. burrowing b. wind d. gravity
burrowing
Sedimentary rocks that weather most quickly contain
calcite
the change of a compound into a carbonate, which promotes chemical weathering
carbonation
Plant and animal activities affect the rate of what kind of weathering?
chemical and mechanical
Oxidation, hydrolysis, acid precipitation, and carbonation are examples of
chemical weathering
the process which breaks down rock through chemical reactions with the environment
chemical weathering
Parent rock that is rich in feldspar or aluminum-rich minerals becomes soil that has a lot of
clay
The process by which softer, less weather resistant rocks wear away at a faster rate than harder, more weather resistant rocks do is called
differential weathering
the process by which softer rocks wear away at a faster rate than harder rocks do
differential weathering
In which of the following erosion processes is gravity NOT a major factor? a. creep c. dust storms b. mudflows d. slump
dust storms
the process by which products of weathering are transported by agents such as water
erosion
All of these farming methods conserve soil EXCEPT a. furrowing. c. contour plowing. b. crop rotation. d. terracing.
furrowing
Which of the following is NOT a farming method that conserves topsoil? a. strip-cropping c. gullying b. terracing d. crop rotation
gullying
the formation of new substances when water reacts chemically with another substance
hydrolysis
A common form of mechanical weathering that results from the freezing and thawing of rock and that is strong enough to split even huge boulders is called
ice wedging
Abrasion is caused by all of the following agents EXCEPT a. wind. c. gravity. b. ice wedging. d. running water.
ice wedging.
thick, tropical soil containing iron and minerals that do not dissolve easily
laterites
Residual soil generally consists of all of the following layers EXCEPT a. partially weathered bedrock. c. topsoil. b. subsoil. d. lava.
lava
Which of the following is an example of a peneplain? a. low, rolling hills c. valleys b. dunes d. ponds
low, rolling hills
the traveling of a large area of sediment or a section of land down a slope
mass movement
Topography with high mountains and steep slopes are especially vulnerable to what type of weathering?
mechanical
Ice, plants and animals, gravity, running water, and wind are common agents of
mechanical weathering
the physical process by which rocks break down without changing their composition
mechanical weathering
an eroded, table-shaped plateau
mesa
the process in which elements react with oxygen
oxidation
soil formed in temperate areas that receive more than 65 cm of rain per year
pedalfer
Areas with low, rolling hills formed from mountains are a. plateaus. c. plains. b. mountains. d. peneplains.
peneplains
Which of the following is NOT a minor landform? a. hill c. plain b. dune d. valley
plain
Parent rock that is rich in quartz, such as granite, becomes soil that contains a lot of
sand
Arctic and desert climates generally form soil that is thin and contains mostly
regolith
the layer of weathered rock fragments that covers most of Earth's surface
regolith
a complex mixture of minerals, water, gases, and organic material
soil
the slow, downslope flow of soil saturated with water in areas surrounding glaciers at high elevations
solifluction
the elevation and slope of land
topography
In which of the following climates will you likely find thick soil containing iron and aluminum minerals that do not easily dissolve? a. temperate dry climates c. tropical climates b. desert climates d. arctic climates
tropical climates