GEOG 300 - Chapter 9

Which condition would promote weathering?

Abundance of joints

Know frost wedging by looking at slabs of granite

See phone for picture

What are the surface depressions associated with karst topography?

Sinkholes

Which type of mass movement involves material moving along a curved glide plane?

Slump

What forms through time as groundwater evaporates from the ceiling of a cavern?

Stalactite

Which of the following is not exogenic in nature?

Tectonic uplift

What is salt weathering?

The formation of minerals in rock cracks during the evaporation of salty water, forcing rock apart

Why does water frozen in the cracks of a rock help to break down the rock?

Water expands when frozen and physically forces the rock apart

Which of the following are the principal active agents involved in chemical weathering?

Water, oxygen, carbon dioxide

What is the relationship between weathering and mass movement?

Weathering prepares material for mass movement.

When will a slope be unstable?

When the slope exceeds the angle of repose

The maximum angle at which soil, sediment, and rock will remain without moving downslope (e.g., a stable slope) is the

angle of repose

Salt-crystal growth (salt weathering) is prevalent in which climate type

arid

When rainwater attacks formations of limestone, the minerals dissolve and wash away with the mildly acid rainwater. This is an example of

carbonation

When rock is broken down and disintegrated in the presence of water and with chemical alterations to the rock, the process in operation is

chemical weathering

Which is an example of a resisting force as related to hillslope environments?

cohesiveness of individual particles

A mass of falling and tumbling rock, debris, and soil leveling at a high velocity owing to the presence of ice or water is a

debris avalanche

The uplift of mountains is caused by

endogenic processes

When pressure is removed from overlying rock, the pressure of deep burial is relieved, initiating pressure-release jointing. The joints then separate into curved slabs. This is known as

exfoliation

If material is to move down slope, it must overcome the force of

friction, cohesion of particles, and inertial resistance

The fact that water expands as much as 9% of its volume as it freezes is the basis of

frost wedging

The science that specifically studies the origin, evolution, form, and spatial distribution of landforms is

geomorphology

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of

higher rainfall and temperatures

Extensive landscapes formed by the dissolution of limestone and other carbonate rock and characterized by pitted, bumpy surface topography, poor surface drainage, and well developed solutions channels are known as

karst topography

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

Weathering that softens and rounds the sharp edges and corners of jointed rock is known as

spheroidal weathering

The process that breaks down rock at the Earth's surface through disintegration of rocks into mineral particles or dissolving it into water is known as

weathering

Which weathering process is most enhanced by human-induced acid rain?

Carbonation

Which is an example of a resisting force as related to hillslope environments?

Cohesiveness of individual particles

Which mass movement is the slowest?

Creep

Which mass movement involves the highest moisture content?

Flow

What type of weathering involves prying rock apart as water freezes and expands?

Frost action

Which is generally the most important trigger for mass movements?

Heavy precipitation

In which climates would rocks experience the highest amounts of chemical decomposition and decay?

Hot and wet

Which of the following is not a type of physical weathering process?

Hydrolysis

Which of the following is correct regarding joints?

Joints are fractures in rock that occur without displacement on either side

Which condition most promotes formation of karst topography?

Joints in impermeable limestone

What is an example of scarification?

Open-pit mining

What weathering process could be considered the rusting of rocks?

Oxidation

Hydrolysis, hydration, oxidation, and carbonation are all examples of ________ weathering processes.

only chemical

Rust, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water, is an example of

oxidation

When rock is broken down and disintegrated without any chemical alterations, the process in operation is

physical weathering

Factors influencing the weathering process include

rock composition and structure, climate, organic processes, and subsurface water

The presence of talus slopes indicates the occurrence of

rockfall

The weathering of limestone can create circular depressions known as

sinkholes

Other than the rock itself, the most important chemical substance needed for the majority of chemical weathering processes is

water