EARTH SCIENCE FINAL QUESTIONS

Put the following steps in sequence to describe how chemical sedimentary rocks form. 1. When a body of water becomes saturated with dissolved minerals, crystals precipitate out of solution. 2. They settle to the bottom, creating layers of sedimentary rock. 3. During chemical weathering, minerals can be dissolved and carried into lakes and oceans.

3, 1, 2

Which of the following statements about acid precipitation is NOT true?

Acid precipitation forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with atmospheric moisture to create sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

Use the following diagram to answer the questions. Assume the oil plant's underground oil tank is faulty and leaks. Which of the following is NOT a solution to protect the water in the two wells in danger of becoming contaminated?

Build a well between the two wells that goes deeper into the earth.

Organize the above four diagrams to correctly show the formation of sedimentary rock.

C,D,A,B

What does the sky look like at the location with this station model?

Clear

Use the diagram to answer the questions. What is the process that is occurring from step C to step D?

Deposition

Because a heavy saturation of water greatly increases the weight of soils, the force of friction is more likely to pull the material downhill.

False

Production of electricity by nuclear power releases a greater amount of greenhouse gases than production of electricity using coal.

False

There is a greater potential for erosion on shallow slopes.

False

Two thousand years ago, Romans built dams to transport water over distances.

False

Volcanic dust from an eruption can remain suspended in the atmosphere for several years, trapping incoming solar radiation and thus raising global temperatures.

False

Without being able to look into the Earth, a scientist would not be able to determine if this region has karst topography.

False

The figure below represents sedimentary layers in a single geographic location. Use the diagram below to answer the question. Layer C is a fine-grained sandstone with cross-bedding and land animal fossils. No marine fossils are present. Under what conditions did it most likely form?

Fine sands are generally deposited by wind. The absence of marine fossils and the presence of land animal fossils suggest that the area was dry, sandy land, such as a desert.

Which of the following statements is NOT true about valley glaciers?

Flow rates are the same within the various portions of the glacier.

Which of the following is not a chemical equation involved in the process of carbonic acid forming and dissolving calcite?

HCl + OH → H2O + Cl

What is unique about spring C?

It has the same temperature as the human body.

A community in Texas broadcasts public service announcements on tornado safety right before spring. Why is this the most effective time to do so?

It is the time of year when the temperature contrast is greatest between colliding tropical air masses over the central United States.

The land around these rivers is known as the ______.

MAYBE water system

A family has decided to build their dream house on a dune on the shore of Lake Michigan. Their plans call for the natural vegetation to be dug up and construction begun. What are some possible consequences of their actions?

Removing the sand may increase beach erosion, and the area may suffer nearshore flooding.

Use the table to answer the following questions. How do Rock B and Rock D differ in their grain size?

Rock B is medium-grained and rock D is fine-grained.

Which of the following could be an impact on the river and the groundwater? Soil could wash from the exposed riverbank into the water, clogging it with sediment. Fertilizers used on the grass could wash into the river or seep into the groundwater. Oil from the storage tank could leak into the groundwater.

Runoff from the parking lot could cause oil, gasoline, and other chemicals to wash into the river.

____ can act as a lid or trap, thus worsening air-pollution problems.

Temperature inversions

Which of the following happens when a river enters a large body of water?

The river water slows down and deposits large amounts of sediments.

Use the table to answer the following questions. How did Rock A most likely get the rounded rock fragments?

The rock fragments banged into each other during travel in water.

Both water velocity and volume increase during times of heavy precipitation.

True

Dripstone formations in caves are composed of calcite.

True

The structure shown in the illustration below is shaped by wind-blown sediments and is called a ventifact.

True

Which of the following is an example of how living things, including humans, affect erosional and weathering processes?

UNKNOWN, OPTIONS ARE: Animals burrow into soil and humans excavate soil when building. Decaying organic matter and burning of fossil fuels contributes to physical weathering. Plants contribute to erosion when their roots exert pressure on rocks.

What type of sediment particles are similar in size?

UNKNOWN, but options are sorted, unsorted, dissolved

Which of the following characteristics of water can be responsible for mechanical weathering?

Water expands when it freezes.

Which of the following statements is true about wind transport?

Wind transport and erosion primarily occur in areas with little vegetative cover.

Which of the following are the erosional effects of a glacier found in the mountains?

With glaciers on three or more sides of a mountaintop, a steep peak called a horn is formed.

Match each description with the correct sediment shown.

__1__ made of harder minerals __2__ forms when rocks first break apart __1__ quartz sand __2__ carbonate sand __2__ made of seashells and calcite __1__ sediment that has traveled farther OPTIONS: 1. Sediment A 2. Sediment B

1.slump 2.creep 3.water 4.mudflow 5.landslide

__1__ The result of a landslide in which the material slides along a curved surface __3__ This acts as a lubricant between grains of sediment __4__ Swiftly moving mixture of mud and water __5__ A rapid, downslope slide of earth materials __2__ The slow, steady, downhill flow of loose, weathered earth materials

Match the points labeled on the diagram with their correct name. 1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D

__2__ oxbow __1__ headwaters __4__ delta __3__ meander

Match each description with its correct type of chemical weathering.

__3__ oxygen __1__ carbon dioxide __2__ acid precipitation __4__ water 1. A 2.B 3.C 4.D

Match each item with the correct statement below. 1.subsidence 2.geyser 3.drawdown 4.recharge 5.spring

__4__ The process that adds water from precipitation to the zone of saturation __2__ Explosive hot springs that erupt at regular intervals __3__ The difference between the original water-table level and the water level in a pumped well __1__ The land surface above an aquifer sinks because of excessive groundwater withdrawal __5__ Where groundwater discharges a volume of water at the Earth's surface

Match each item with the correct statement below. 1.sandstone and limestone 2.silt, clay, and shale 3.the ocean 4.aquifer 5.polar ice caps and glaciers

__5__ Contains 80 percent of all freshwater __3__ The ultimate source of all water __4__ Permeable layers through which groundwater flows __1__ Permeable subsurface material __2__ Impermeable subsurface materials

Which location would allow the least amount of water to be absorbed into the ground?

a mountain

The carrying capacity of a stream is its ____.

ability to transport sediment

A blocked-off meander eventually becomes ____.

an oxbow lake

What type of sedimentary rock is coarse-grained with angular fragments?

breccias

Fossil fuel deposits and the Earth's oceans are two places in which________.

carbon is stored

Cloud droplets collide to form larger droplets in a process called ____.

coalescence

What is diagram A depicting?

deposition

In which of the following areas is wind a major erosional agent?

deserts

Much of the water that falls on the ground as precipitation ____.

enters the ground through the process of infiltration

A method of transport by which strong winds cause particles to stay airborne for long distances is called saltation.

false

Some runoff initially flows in thin sheets and eventually collects in miniature channels called rills and brooks.

false

True or False? All mass movement occurs on slopes. Without gravity, the material would remain in place and not move.

false

Which type of erosion is least noticeable?

glacial erosion

What type of bedding has the heaviest and coarsest material is on the bottom?

graded

Which of the following could increase the rate of chemical weathering of a rock?

increasing its total surface area

The process by which precipitation that has fallen on land trickles into the ground and becomes groundwater is known as what?

infiltration

A ridge consisting of mixed debris deposited by a glacier is a(n) ____.

moraine

Slumps are common after a rainfall because the water ____.

reduces friction between soil grains

The Grand Canyon is an example of ______.

rejuvenation

V-shaped channels like the Grand Canyon are formed by ____.

stream downcutting

Which is NOT an agent of chemical weathering?

temperature

What is the power behind the water cycle?

the Sun

What zone is point B located in?

the temperate zone

Which is NOT a factor that influences mass movements?

time

In which of the following climates would chemical weathering most readily occur?

wet and warm

In the diagram below, the area labeled A is called the ____.

zone of saturation