ESC - Exam Two

the upper limit of the zone of saturation is called the _______________.

water table

which one of the following features would least likely be found in a wide valley?

waterfall

disintegration and decomposition of rock

weathering

What man is associated with transform faults?

J. Tuzo Wilson

the maximum load of solid particles a stream can transport per unit time

capacity

which of the following is NOT a way a stream transports its load of sediment?

abrasion

material deposited by a stream

alluvium

what forms due to erosional work of groundwork

caverns

a stream's ability to transport particles based on size

competence

occurs when divergent boundaries develop within a continent

continental drifting

occurs as hot, less dense material rises and surface material cools and sinks

convection

the heat transfer mechanism from earths interior

convective flow

Which plate boundary is a destructive boundary?

convergent

two plates move together

convergent boundary

what is the name for the bend on a river where erosion occurs?

cut bank

where most erosion occurs on the outside of the meander; where velocity is highest

cut bank

a flow of weathered debris containing a large amount of water. often confined to channels. sometimes called a mudflow.

debris flow

long, linear depressions; result of subduction

deep ocean trenches

which one of the following is NOT a form of mass wasting?

deflation

form where streams enter still bodies of water

deltas

irregularly branching pattern; uniform material, slope of land determines pattern

dendritic

when a stream slows down, its competence is reduced and sediment begins to be ________________.

deposited

the volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time (m3/s)

discharge

which of the following factors does NOT influence stream velocity?

discharge

material in solution; delivered by groundwater; not effected by velocity

dissolved load

at the mouth of a river, the major channel splits into smaller channels known as

distributaries

carry water and sediment away from main channel

distributaries

Which plate boundary is a constructive boundary?

divergent

the drainage basin of one stream is separated from the drainage basin of another by an imaginary line called a ___________________.

divide

the land are that contribute water to a river system; what are they separated by?

drainage basins; divides

the tongue like flow of water saturated clay rich soil on a hillside that breaks away and moves downslope

earthflow

if you wanted to draw the boundaries of active plates in a globe, which of the following would give you the most complete information. A map showing _______________.

earthquake distribution

which one of the following provides a method for tracking a plate's descent into the "plastic" mantle along a deep-ocean trench?

earthquakes

the energy that causes plates to move is derived from _________________.

earths internal heat

physical removal of material by a mobile agent (flowing water, waves, wind, ice)

erosion

which one of the following is NOT a process included in the water cycle?

erosion

lateral erosion creates a broad, flat valley floor called...

floodplain

occur when stream discharge exceeds channel capacity

floods

Linear breaks in the seafloor are

fracture zones

columns of hot water and steam ejected with great force

geysers

which of the following is not associated with karst topography?

good drainage of water

a streams _________________ is the slope of its channel expressed as the vertical drop of the stream over a specified distance.

gradient

the vertical drop over a specified distance

gradient

________________ is the controlling force of all forms of mass wasting.

gravity

all pore space is filled with what kind of water

groundwater

without question, ____________________ represents the largest reservoir of freshwater that is readily available to humans.

groundwater

landscapes that have been shaped by the dissolving power of groundwater are said to exhibit this type of topography...

karst

water flow in slow-moving streams can be?

laminar

which of the following does not affect a streams velocity?

laminar flow

the crust and uppermost (coolest) mantle

lithosphere

the cross-sectional view of a stream from headwaters to mouth is called?

longitudinal profile

what drives plate motion?

mantle convective flow

a cylinder of upwelling hot rock is beneath hawaii

mantle plume

transfer of rock and soil downslope under influence of gravity

mass wasting

meandering channels have sweeping bends called

meanders

which of the following is not a characteristics of a downcutting stream?

meanders

How did the opponents of the continental drift hypothesis account for the existence of similar life forms on widely separated land masses?

migration across land bridges

what is the largest river in north america

mississippi river

built by successive floods on rivers in broad floodplains

natural levees

the theory of plate tectonics does NOT help to explain the origin and location of which of the following?

ocean currents

cold, dense oceanic crust sinks because it is denser than the asthenosphere

slab pull

downward sliding of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material moving as a unit along a curved surface

slump

Which of the following terms is used to describe the way materials move during mass wasting?

slump, slide, and flow

which of the follwing refers to the deformation of earths crust that results in the formation of structural features such as mountains.

tectonics

theory where tectonic processes are those that deform earths crust to create major structural features such as mountains, continents, and ocean basins

theory of plate tectonics

the ability of a stream to erode is directly related to its _________________.

velocity

as stream discharge increases _______________.

velocity, width, and depth increase

the unending circulation of earths water supply is called the ____________.

water cycle

An artesian well is one in which ________.

water rises above the top of the aquifer without any pumping

A hole drilled into the zone of saturation is called?

well

area above the water table is called...

unsaturated zone

rejuvenation of a stream could be cause by

uplift of land

two plates move apart

divergent

which of the following is not a characteristics of a wide stream and valley?

natural levee

A stream begins at an elevation of 200 meters and flows a distance of 400 kilometers to the ocean? What is the gradient?

0.5 m/km

how many more times is the discharge of the amazon river than the mississippi river

12

the basic outline of plate tectonics was firmly established by the late ______________.

1960s

percentage of hydrosphere is global ocean percentage of ice sheets and glaciers percentage of lakes, streams, groundwater, and atmosphere

96.5% 1.76% 2%

What man is associated with the continental drift hypothesis?

Alfred Wegener

what is the world's largest river in terms of discharge?

Amazon river

threshold temp. for magnetism, about 585 degrees celsius (1085 F) for basaltic lavas. when heated above this, a rock loses its magnetism

Curie Point

According to the plate tectonics theory, continents are moving though the ocean basins. T/F

False

Earth's rigid outer shell, called the crust, lies over a hotter, weaker some known as the asthenosphere. T/F

False; lithosphere

When rocks exhibit the same magnetism as the present magnetic field, they are said to possess reversed polarity. T/F

False; normal polarity

The basic idea of continental drift is that Earth's rigid outer shell is made of several large segments that are slowing moving. T/F

False; plate tectonics

The geographic distribution of Mesosaurus provides evidence that ...

South America and Africa were once joined

Sea floor spreading is the mechanism responsible for producing ocean-floor material at the crest of oceanic ridges. T/F

True

The continental drift hypothesis can be used to explain the existence of identical fossils on widely separated landmasses. T/F

True

A natural levee is....

a depositional feature, and essentially parallel to its stream channel

rock or sediment that water moves though easily

aquifers

impermeable rock that does not transmit groundwater is called what?

aquitard

impermeable clay layers that prevent water movement

aquitards

the hotter, weaker mantle below the lithosphere

asthenosphere

rocks that formed millions of years ago contain a "record" of the direction of the magnetic poles....

at the time of their formation

Most than half of US flash flood fatalities are

automobile related

form because drainage is poor behind levees

back swamps

deposits of sand and gravel

bars

the lower limit to how deep a stream can erode

base level

the lowest level to which a stream can erode its channel is the streams ____________.

base level

material moving along the channel; sand gravel, large boulders. only in motion intermittently

bed load

mountains formed by collision between continents are the ______________.

both Himalayas and Appalachians

a complex network of converging and diverging channels

braided channels

water enters atmosphere form the oceans by

evaporation

the combined effects of evaporation and transpiration

evapotranspiration

occur at or near earths surface; powered by energy from the sun

external processes

As the velocity of a stream decreases, its competence is reduced and sediment begins to be deposited, smallest particles first. T/F

false

Most streams, but not all, carry the greatest part of their load in solution. T/F

false

One result of plate tectonics is that ocean basins are all older than continents. T/F

false

Plate motion can be explained due to the presence of the lower mantle. T/F

false

The average rate of spreading along ocean ridges is about 60 centimeters per year. T/F

false

hawaii experiences volcanism because of subduction. T/F

false

the coastline is the true margin of a continent. T/F

false

Rift valley, linear sea, and ocean is the correct order and sequence of stages involved in sea floor spreading. T/F

false/ up warping is before rift valley.

researchers have proposed that the hawaiian islands are forming over a plume of rising mantle called a ____________ spot.

hot

an area of volcanism, high heat flow, and crustal uplift above a mantle plume

hot spot

warm because groundwater circulates at depth

hot springs

formed as the pacific plate moved over the hot spot

hot-spot track

the cycle where water moves between the ocean, atmosphere and land

hydrologic cycle

reservoir where all water is found

hydrosphere

flow in steep, narrow valleys

incised meanders

Some water soaks into the ground

infiltration

powered by energy from earths interior

internal processes

which plate boundary is produced Mt. St. Helens?

oceanic-continental convergent

which one of the following was NOT used to support the continental drift hypothesis?

paleomagnetism

one of the major tenets of the continental drift hypothesis suggested the existence of a supercontinent. what is the name of this continent

pangaea

a localized zone of saturation above an aquitard

perched water table

a materials ability to transmit fluid

permeability

The lithosphere is broken into separate sections called

plates

today we know that's earths rigid outer shell consists of about 20 segments called...

plates

A ______________ stream pattern is developed only on growing mountains like volcanoes or domes.

radial

____________________ are characteristics of a youthful, narrow stage of valley evolution.

rapids and whitewater

a pattern that right-angle bends formed when bedrock is crosscut by joints or faults

rectangular

meanders develop when stream is near base level, but base level falls and stream starts down cutting again; sea level fall; uplift in land

rejuvenation of stream

Which of the following is not a plate boundary?

resurgent boundary

gravity causes lithospheric slabs to slide down the ridge

ridge push

as plates move apart along ridges, broken slabs are displaced downward, creating down faulted valleys called ____________ valleys.

rift

a deep canyon along the crest of a ridge resulting from tensional forces

rift valley

blocks of bedrock break loose and slide very rapidly downslope

rockslide

the single most important agent sculpturing earths land surface is _______________.

running water

surplus water flows over the surface

runoff

types of trigger that initiates downslope movement

saturation with water oversteepening removal of vegetation earthquakes

the process by which new seafloor is created along the ocean ridge system

seafloor spreading

separates particles of various sizes

sorting

what else are divergent plate boundaries called

spreading centers

a natural outflow of groundwater

spring

the remnants of former floodplains

stream terraces

the channel and surrounding terrain that contributes water to the stream

stream valley

material suspended in the clay and silt particles; largest component of load

suspended load

what type processes are those that deform earths crust to create major structural features such as mountains, continents, and ocean basins?

tectonic

Which of the following refers to the deformation of Earth's crust that results in the formation of structural features like mountains?

tectonics

two plates slide past one another

transform boundary

The release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants is called ________.

transpiration

water absorbed by plants is eventually released

transpiration

pattern that rock layers are variably resistant and tributary streams are parallel

trellis

Mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, Alps, and Appalachians formed because of continental convergence. T/F

true

The region where an oceanic slab sinks into the asthenosphere because of convergence is called a subduction zone. T/F

true

a lake prevents a steam from eroding below its level at any point upstream from the lake. T/F

true

a steady rain that falls on a gentle slope composed of permeable materials results in a high percentage of infiltration. T/F

true

seismic data provides the most complete information regarding the location of plate boundaries. T/F

true

the combined effects of mass wasting and running water produce stream valleys. T/F

true

the earths internal heat is the source of energy that causes plate motion. T/F

true

most streamflow is?

turbulent

which of the following best describes how geysers work?

with a slight reduction in pressure, water in a saturated, natural conduit suddenly boils, sending a plume of steam and hot water into the air above the vent

parallel the river until they can breach the levee

yazoo tributaries

which of the following is NOT a distinct type of plate boundary

zonal