Geo Test 3
Weathering that softens and rounds the sharp edges and corners of jointed rock is known as
spheroidal weathering
desert pavement refers to
surfaces of concentrated pebbles and gravels
regular patterns of smooth, rounded waves are called
swells
pulverized rock and elastic materials ejected violently during an eruption are called
tephra, or pyroclastics
the littoral zone extends inland to
the highest water line that occurs during a storm
coral bleaching refers to
the loss of algae from the coral
the undulating form that gives earth's surface its character and general configuration is called
topography
composite cones have deep slopes and experience ___ eruptions because they are composed of ___.
violent; felsic
All processes that cause reductions and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term
Denudation
Which of the following is correct of a floodplain
It is generally filled with layers of alluvium
Which of the following is NOT a general shape that scientists use to classify dunes?
Rectilinear
the state of Georgia is principally within which major drainage basin?
South Atlantic-Gulf
Which of the following is correct
The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge
a hypsographic curve is
a generalized curve showing earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level
a common crescent-shaped dune with horns pointed downward is called a
barchan dune
sand that extends from a coast into open water is called a
barrier spit
the largest material that can be carried by a stream is carried as
bed load
Given present global warming trends and predicted climate change for the next century, sea level is estimated to rise
between .18-.59m
near the shore, waves of transition begin to "feel bottom" and as a result, the orbits of the water molecules in the wave become more ___. this process eventually causes ___ to form.
elliptical; breakers
the term eolian refers to
erosion, transportation, and deposition by the wind
stream-related processes are termed
fluvial
A drainage basin with a very high drainage density would be considered to be
highly dissected
what type of rock forms from the solidification of molten material?
igneous
which of the following grain sizes is most readily moved by the wind?
intermediate
orogenesis refers to
mountain building
The basin and Range Province in western United States is a result of _______ faulting produced by _________ forces.
normal; tensional
A desert is an area in which
potential evapotranspiration rates exceed actual evapotranspiration rates.
During the past ice age, landmasses were generally
pressed down into the asthenosphere by the load of ice.
A desert pavement surface is associated with which of the following types of deserts?
reg
vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as
relief
particles of sand, gravels, and shells that move along the shore form the
beach drift
rivers have played a relatively minor role in the geography of human history.
false
the Alps in Europe are an example of a third order of relief.
false
the Atacama Desert is one of the world's driest regions and is located on the southwest coast of Africa.
false
the suspended load of a stream is the coarser materials that are dragged along the stream bed.
false
When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit, displacement occurs in a process known as
faulting
natural levees are created during
floods
continental crust is basically ___, whereas oceanic crust is basically ___.
granite; basalt
consider the equation Q = wdv. according to the equation, if Q (discharge) remains constant, but w and d decrease (as when a channel becomes more narrow and shallow), the velocity will
increase
Which of the following is correct regarding worldwide sea level?
it was about 130m lower 18,000 B.P., and about 10-20cm lower 100 y/ago
which side of a dune typically has a slope angle equal to that of the angle of repose for sand?
leeward
A general term for the coastal environment is
littoral zone
when people go swimming along a coast, they often find themselves, after a while, down the coast from where they first entered the water. they moved down shore because of
longshore currents
The downslope movement of a body of material made up of soil, sediment, or rock propelled by the force of gravity is known as
mass movement
Channels with gradual slopes often develop a sinuous form called a ________ pattern
meandering stream
a rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as
metamorphic
an interruption in a stream's graded profile of equilibrium is called a
nickpoint
at which of the following locations is new ocean crust being formed?
oceanic rift zones
on the desert floor, at locally low elevations, an intermittently wet-and-dry flat area in a region of closed (interior) drainage is called a
playa
The Basin and Range Province of the interior western US is a type of horst-and-graben topography
true
The Colorado River system is experiencing a drought that is more severe than any in the historic record
true
The principle of isostasy refers to the vertical movement of Earth's crust in response to loading and unloading of weight, such as ice or sediment
true
a single groin can produce both sand erosion and deposition.
true
continental shields, or cratons, are generally of low elevation and old in age.
true
erosion of the walls of a channel normally occurs on the outside curve of a meander.
true
the Appalachians are older than the Rockies.
true
water can be considered a "universal" solvent.
true
water is a more effective agent of erosion in deserts than wind.
true
An earthquake, a submarine landslide, or an eruption of an undersea volcano is capable of producing a
tsunami
rocks that appear pitted and grooved, and sometimes polished smooth by eolian processes, are termed
ventifacts
which of the following is an endogenic process?
volcanism
wave action works to straighten a coast as wave energy focuses around headlands and tends to disperse energy in coves and bays in a process called
wave refraction
which of the following is an exogenic process?
weathering
The worldwide average salinity of seawater is?
3.5%
the angle of repose represent a balance between the driving force and resisting force. Which of the following is the driving force?
Gravity
the greatest flow from rivers east of the continental divide in the Rockies is into the
Gulf/Atlantic drainage
the sand-blasting action of wind-blown particles is called
abrasion
which of the following supports the continental drift concept?
all of the above support the theory
a characteristic cone-shaped depositional feature in the desert that usually forms at the mouth of a canyon is known as an
alluvial fan
the general term for clay, silt, and sand deposited by running water is
alluvium
which of the following is an example of a first order of relief?
an ocean basin
a cutoff on a meandering stream results in the formation of
an oxbow lake
coral formations
are made of animals living symbiotically with simple algae
Which of the following correctly describes a dry stream bed that is intermittently filled with water?
arroyo
maximum velocity in a stream is found
at the center and near the surface, corresponding with the deepest parts of the stream channel
the total possible load a stream can transport is its ___, whereas a stream's ability to move particles of specific size is its ___.
capacity; competence
the belief that disasters have produced most of the major features of earth is called
catastrophism
after water itself, what are the primary elements which occur in sea water?
chlorine and sodium
which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in earth, from the surface to the center?
crust, aesthenosphere, lower mantle, core
the removal and lifting of individual loose particles by the wind is termed
deflation
Terranes refer to
displaced and migrating pieces of Earth's crust
elongated, streamlined ridges aligned parallel to the most effective wind direction are called
yardangs
drainage density refers to
a measure determined by dividing the length of all the channels by the area of its drainage basin
an exotic stream is
any river that arises in a humid region and then passes through to an arid region
the area at the surface directly above the subsurface location where seismic waves are initiated is termed the
epicenter
an extensive area of sand and sand dunes is known as a
erg, desert, or sand sea
a major drainage basin consists of a single watershed.
false
as the potential evapotranspiration increases, salinity decreases.
false
barrier islands are stable islands that are suitable for development.
false
earthquake and volcanic occurrences do not correlate well with crustal plate boundaries.
false
limestone is a lithified metamorphic rock, high in magnesium, whereas marble is a sedimentary form.
false
limestone is a type of ___ rock that forms when ___.
sedimentary; calcium carbonate precipitates, or organic material containing calcium carbonate accumulates in a water environment
an instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the
seismograph
which of the following is incorrectly matched?
shearing--stretching or faulting
stream transport involves all of the following except
sheet flow
in which region of the United States are eolian processes most effective?
southwest
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
superpositon
uniformitarianism assumes that
the same physical processes we see today are a key to understanding the processes that have been operating throughout geologic time
which of the following is correct regarding continental drift?
the term "continental drift" is now called plate tectonics.
which of the following is correct regarding loess deposits?
they are formed of fine-grained clays and silts