Geography 104 Test 3

Relatively small dunes that are crescentic in shape are termed _________ dunes.

barchan

The degradation of a landscape by weathering, erosion, and transportation has an ultimate "goal" of reducing the landscape down to

base level

If the Earth did not experience endogenic processes, the landscape would

be of very low relief as a result of weathering and erosion in the absence of uplift.

Watersheds are defined by

drainage divides

The suspension of finer particles by wind over significant distances is a phenomenon known as

dust storm

The term "eolian" refers to

erosion, transportation, and deposition by the wind.

Rectangular drainage patterns form as a result of

flow through a faulted landscape.

On which part of a slope would rocks tend to fall at the highest speeds?

free face

Which of the following grain sizes is most readily moved by the wind?

intermediate

Linear dunes and seif dunes are oriented

perpendicular to the wind.

For purposes of discussing eolian processes, the wind acts like a

solid

Desert pavement refers to

surfaces of concentrated pebbles and gravels.

Elongated, streamlined ridges aligned parallel to the most effective wind direction are called

yardangs

Hydrolysis involves

water chemically combining with minerals.

The disintegration and dissolving of surface and subsurface rock is called

Weathering

Water is essential to the formation of a desert pavement.

True

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

William Morris Davis, base level concept

The dynamic equilibrium model refers to

a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of reduction by weathering and erosion in a given landscape.

Once particle motion is initiated, subsequent motion can be maintained _________ because of the process of _________.

at lower wind velocities; particle impact

The removal and lifting of individual loose particles by the wind is termed

deflation

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? (Also assume that there are no structural controls on the pattern's development.)

dendric

All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term

denudation

All other factors being equal, landscapes of great relief experience

faster rates of landform change than those of low relief.

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

geomorphology

You would expect only slight physical and chemical weathering under natural conditions of

higher temperatures and lower precipitation.

Which of the following rock types is most affected by fluvial solution?

limestone

The yellow-red stains that occur on some rock surfaces are the result of __________ which is a form of __________ weathering.

oxidation; chemical

A central peak, or a dome of a volcanic mountain, generally produces _________ drainage patterns.

radial

The ultimate base level is

sea level

Stream capture refers to

the process by which one channel erodes through a drainage divide and captures the headwater regions of another stream.

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

water

Of the world's largest rivers, which has the greatest discharge?

Amazon River

Aggradation of a stream channel produces scouring and alluvial terraces.

False

If a landscape is evolving toward a threshold condition, this means that it is approaching a condition of stability.

False

Karst topography involves the chemical weathering of granite landscapes.

False

Knowledge of the locations of drainage divides has no practical significance.

False

Principal arid and semiarid lands only occur on the continental landmasses of the Northern Hemisphere.

False

When a stream is graded (at grade), it has attained its lowest possible gradient and slowest flow velocity.

False

Wind-blown loess deposits are only derived from glacial and periglacial sources.

False

Which of the following surface conditions would limit the effectiveness of wind as an erosional agent?

Surface materials consisting of clay-sized particles.

A floodplain consists of alluvium.

True

A ventifact can be used to determine the dominant wind direction in an area.

True

Debris slopes tend to be larger in arid climates than in humid climates.

True

Karst topography and limestone regions occur on every continent on Earth.

True

The skipping and bouncing action of saltation accounts for

about 80 percent of wind-transported particles

Braided streams, such as the Brahmaputra River, are found in areas

all of the above

Desertification is caused by

all of the above

The form that a landscape exhibits results from a balance between

all of the above

The general term for clay, silt, and sand deposited by running water is

alluvium

As a stream's carrying capacity decreases, which of the following sizes of sediments will be deposited last?

clay