Exam 4 Study Guide
This image shows the ice-core record based on oxygen isotope data. Based on this graph, when did out most recent interglacial begin?
0ka 78ka 120ka 11ka
This graph shows the changes in CO2 concentrations over the last 55 years or so. Based on the graph, estimate the percentage increase we have seen in CO2 since 1965.
1% 10% 25% 200%
Below is an image showing the main types of mass wasting. Which image shows the mass-wasting even that has the lowest velocity?
A B C D
The figure below is a bathymetric map of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. Where on the map would you expect to find an active margin?
A B C D
The following sequence of images all show remediation techniques used to stabilize or protect property from mass wasting. Which of the four pictures shows a technique employee to mitigate the hazard of rockfall?
A B C D
The image below shows a passive margin. Which letter properly locates where the continental shelf is?
A B C D
The image below shows a rugged coastline. Based on what you know about wave refraction, which area is likely to receive the most concentration of wave energy, and thus, erosion?
A B C D
The image below shows the subduction of oceanic lithosphere beneath continental lithosphere at an active continental margin. Which letter properly locates where the accretionary prism is present in this setting?
A B C D
This image shows a block set on a sloped surface. The four arrows drawn on the figure show all the different force vectors acting upon the block. Which of the arrows represents the force that friction creates?
A B C D
This photograph shows a mountainside with exposed coal beds interlayered with sandstone and shale. The coal was formed as debris from the landscape and was gradually buried 4 to 10 km deep over a very long period of time. Under the right conditions, what type of initial landscape could these coal beds have formed from?
A rocky, cold environment, similar to what you would now see in Antarctica A hot and very swampy environment, full of plants and stagnant water A barren desert landscape, full of sand and dunes An oceanic landscape, full of microscopic animals and plankton
The following figure shows a typical oil drilling mechanism, in which a rotating drill bit gradually drills deeper and deeper into the Earth. Certain parts of the figure are labeled A, B, C, and D. Choose the answer that correctly identifies each part.
A. Drill derrick, B. Drill pipe, C. Drillhole, D. Drill bit A. Drill pipe, B, Drill derrick, C. Drillhole, D. Drill bit A. Drill truss, B. Drill pump, C. Drillhole, D. Drill grinder A. Drill truss, B. Drill pump, C. Geophone. D. Drill grinder
The settling of minerals within a magma chamber as shown in the image below will form which geologic resource?
An ore deposit An oil reserve A seam of diamonds A coal seam
The pie chart below shows the proportion of different sources of energy that people use each year. Using the pie chart, estimate what percentage of our total energy usage comes from fossil fuels.
Approximately 55% Approximately 33% Approximately 66% Approximately 85%
According to the figure below, where are the second most abundant oil reserves located, after the Middle East?
Asia Pacific Africa South and Central America North America
The lithosphere comprises both oceanic and continental crust. Which of the following statements BEST describes the contrasts between the crusts of the two types of lithosphere, based on the information provided in the image?
Both oceanic and continental crust are found exclusively below sea level. Oceanic crust is thicker than continental crust. Oceanic crust primarily comprises igneous rocks. The lithosphere is thickest near mid-ocean ridges.
The first oil well was drilled in
California Texas Pennsylvania Saudi Arabia Brazil
Rock cut into slabs for architectural purposes is called
Drywall Slate Dimension stone Bricks Industrial minerals
Which of the following statements have NOT been asserted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports?
Earth's climate system is warming. It is extremely likely that human activity has contributed significantly to global climate change. Sea level is rising. The warming trends observed in the past 50 years can be explained by natural forcing such as cosmic ray flux.
Which of the following is NOT one of the five fundamental sources of energy on Earth?
Energy from chemical reactions Gravitational energy Energy from nuclear fission in radioactive atoms Energy exerted by flowing water Energy stored in Earth's interior
The following figure shows a close-up of a step in the hydrofracturing process occurring in a shale bed. Which statement most accurately describes what is occurring in this figure?
Fracking fluid is being injected into a sealed off section to force open, lengthen, or create new joints in source beds to extract gas. Fracking water is being sprayed into a sealed off section to prepare the shale for deeper drilling. Fracking sand is being injected into cracks with water to seal them shut, so gas can be extracted more efficiently. Fracking packers are being properly placed and spaced, using water and high pressure.
Which of the following is NOT a metallic mineral resource?
Gold Copper Aluminum Phosphate Iron
Which of the following is NOT used in making concrete?
Gypsum Sand and gravel Water Lime Silica
Identify the FALSE statement.
If all ocean water evaporated, a 60-m-thick layer of salt would form on the ocean floor. Saltier water generally floats above fresher water. Warmer water can hold more salt in solution than cold water. Oceans are less salty near the mouths of large rivers.
Current estimates of oil reserves suggest the global oil supply will last for how long?
It is impossible to know. At least 200 years 50-100 years Less than 50 years The supply is unlimited.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Lahars are mudflows that have been triggered by earthquake shaking. Permafrost is permanently frozen ground in arctic regions or at high elevations. Slow movement of unconsolidated material downslope is called creep. The angle of repose is the steepest angle at which unconsolidated sediments can sit without slipping downhill.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Photochemical smog is produced by the action of sunlight on vehicle exhaust fumes. Acid runoff develops when precipitation flows through piles of sulfide-containing ores and coal. Human production of nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants, and radioactive medical materials has put radioactive contaminants into the surface environment. The danger of the ozone hole is that it allows increased amounts of harmful infrared radiation to reach Earth's surface.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
The near-term future of the world depends heavily on human activities. Plate-tectonic movements will alter the global map significantly over the coming millions of years. Shallow seas cannot ever again cover continental interiors because there has been enough sediment deposition to raise the average land surface high enough to prevent this outcome. Five billion years from now scientists believe the Sun will begin to collapse, then swell to encompass the Earth.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
The worst-case scenario predicts that if global warming continues at its present rate, by 2050 the average annual temperature will have increased 1.5-2°C. Carbon-dioxide concentration of the atmosphere has increased in the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has ruled that all future research use the one computer climate model they have concluded is the best. Few climate scientists believe current temperature increases are entirely due to natural cycles of short-term climate change.
Identify the TRUE statement.
Tidal reach means the farthest inland the water goes at high tide. The tide-generating force creates two bulges in the oceans on opposite sides of Earth. The tide-generating force is a combination of only two forces, the gravitational attractions of the Sun and Moon. Since the Sun is much larger than the Moon, its gravity is the biggest contributing factor to the tide-generating force.
Oil reserve source rocks are always sedimentary rocks.
True False
Unlike fossil fuels, mineral reserves are renewable resources and present no risk of dwindling supply in coming decades.
True False
A continental margin that coincides with a plate boundary is called
a continental slope. an accretionary prism. a trench. an active margin.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? If significant global warming happens, the consequences would be
a shift in climate belts, with temperate climates moving to lower latitudes. stronger storms and increased flooding. a rise in sea level due to melting ice. an interruption of ocean currents and the heat transfer they accomplish.
Earth's atmosphere
began as nitrogen and oxygen, left over from the solar nebula. acquires its carbon dioxide from photosynthesis by green plants. gets warmer as its carbon dioxide concentration goes down. became more oxygen-rich during the Proterozoic after the evolution of photosynthetic organisms in the Archean.
Identify the FALSE statement. Rogue waves
by definition, are more than twice the size of most large waves. can be high enough to swamp the decks of ocean liners. significantly erode seafloor sediments that sit below wave base. can be caused by the focusing effect of some coastline or sea-floor shapes.
Trenches
result from sea-floor spreading. are found at divergent-plate boundaries. border continental and island volcanic arcs. may be over 100 km (62 mi) deep.
What term has nothing to do with protecting beaches from erosion?
sea stacks jetties breakwaters seawalls
The image below shows a mass-wasting event associated with the volcano Mount St. Helens in Washington. What is the name for the mass-wasting event shown?
slump landslide rockfall lahar
What process most logically explains the different tilts of gravestones in a hillside cemetery?
slump liquefaction mudflow creep
Landslides are likely to happen when
the angle of repose of a sandy slope gets greater than 9°. the downslope force becomes greater than the resistance force. weak surfaces dip into the slope. weight is added at the bottom of a slope.
What force causes the tidal bulge on the side of the Earth opposite the Moon (the secondary bulge)?
the centrifugal force caused by the orbiting of the Earth-Moon system around its center of mass the centripetal force caused by the orbiting of the Earth-Moon system around its center of mass the Sun's gravitational attraction the Moon's gravitational attraction
Which of the following does NOT contribute to long-term climate change?
sunspot activity position of the continents the evolution of certain life-forms, such as photosynthetic organisms tectonic uplift
Pick out the appropriate pair of terms to match this statement- a surfer loves these; a swimmer hates these.
swash, longshore currents rip currents, backwash breakers, rip currents embayments, sea stacks
In the diagram pictured, if angle A is increases, then
the downslope force (D) gets larger. the pull of gravity increases. the resistive force (Rf) increases. the block is less likely to move.
The following image is a map of bathymetric features around the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Which of the letter combinations correctly match with the bathymetric features marked on the map?
A - Shelf, B - Abyssal Plain, C - Mid Atlantic Ridge, D - Trench A - Trench, B - Abyssal Plain, C - Mid Atlantic Ridge, D - Shelf A - Abyssal Plain, B - Shelf, C - Trench, D - Mid-Atlantic Ridge A - Shelf, B - Trench, C - Mid-Atlantic Ridge, D - Abyssal Plain
Identify the FALSE statement.
A particle of water in a wave moves in a circular motion when viewed in cross section. Submarines traveling deeper than about half the prevailing wavelength in an area (the wave base) would experience smooth water. Constructive interference of comparable-sized swells tends to cancel them out and produce smooth water. The character of waves in open seas depends on the strength and fetch of the wind.
The following figure depicts a basic geothermal system that generates power. Which of the following terms best describes the specific type of geothermal system shown?
Ambient geothermal High-temperature geothermal Low-temperature geothermal Flux geothermal
Where did the following mass-wasting event take place? A river eroded away the base of the mountain slope it flowed alongside, causing the largest observed landslide in U.S. history that filled the river valley and dammed its flow.
Armero, Colombia (1985) Gros Ventre slide, Wyoming (1925) Elm, the Swiss Alps (1881) Yosemite National Park (1996)
The following two images show a set of data derived from an ice core record and a separate set derived from a marine sediment core. Which statement BEST describes a relationship between the two data sets?
Both data sets show constant warming temperatures because the O-18/O-16 ratios are continually increasing. Because sediment cores are able to preserve much older data than ice cores, due to the fact that ice flows and melts, the sediment core shows a longer time span, but in less detail. The ice core shows the same span as the sediment core, but gives better detail because ice preserves O-18/O-16 ratios more accurately than sediments. The sediment core shows the same span as the ice core, but in better detail, as shown by the more pronounced changes in O-18/O-16 ratios seen in the sediment data.
What is the source of hydrocarbons that make up oil and natural gas?
Buried trees and other plant material Carcasses of dinosaurs and other animals Marine plankton and algae Coal swamps None of the possible answers is correct.
Where are the largest oil reserves on Earth today?
Continental U.S. Persian Gulf region China Gulf of Mexico Canadian Arctic
Identify the FALSE statement.
Coral reefs are complex environments consisting of colonies of tiny invertebrates, algae, shell debris, and associated organisms. Coral reefs are classified on the basis of their shapes- fringing, barrier, or atoll. Corals grow only in clear, well-lit, warm water with normal oceanic salinity. Coral animals are tiny invertebrates that secrete silicic shells.
Which of the following does NOT form an ore deposit?
Crystal settling in magma Chemical precipitation from water Extreme weathering of rock Subduction zone volcanism Density settling within a sediment deposit
In the diagram pictured, if the hillside gets wet, which of the following will decrease and likely trigger the block to move?
D (downslope or driving force) A (the angle of the slope) Wv (normal force) Rf (resistive force)
Coal is classified according to
Hardness Concentration of carbon Burning temperature Formation process Gas content
Which of the following is NOT a line of evidence that supports the assertion of global warming, especially over the past 30 years?
Large ice shelves, such as the Larsen B in Antarctica, are breaking up. The rate of ice loss on the Greenland ice sheet has increased. Sea ice has decreased substantially, at a rate of ~3% per decade. The spatial area of permafrost regions in low latitudes has substantially increased.
Larry, Curly, and Moe are buries in a cemetery on a hillside. Their headstones were places upright at their funerals, but now they all tilt downhill, as the diagram shows. Larry's stone tilts 20* down from the vertical, Curly's tilts 37*, and Moe's tilts 6*. Who died first?
Larry Curly Moe Tilt is not related to how long the headstones have been in the ground.
Which of the following changes is NOT a unidirectional change?
Life on Earth evolves. The frozen mantle crust changed to continental crust and oceanic crust. Small continents merged to become a supercontinent. Liquid iron alloy sank into Earth's interior.
Metallic resources come from
Magmatic deposits Hydrothermal deposits Sedimentary deposits Native metals All of the possible answers are correct.
Gravel, sand, phosphate, gypsum, salt, and similar mineral resources are classified as
Metallic mineral resources Dimension stone Nonmetallic mineral resources Ore deposits Placer deposits
Use the map to determine which of the following locations would NOT be affected by an increase in sea level on the order of 40 meters
Norfolk, VA Orlando, FL Charlotte, NC Clarksdale, MS
The following graph shows the percentage of total reserves of different types of oil over time across the globe. Which of the following predictions about reserves after 2015 is correct?
Oil reserves will increase. Oil reserves will decrease. Oil reserves will remain constant. U.S. reserves will increase while the rest of the world's resources will decrease.
According to the following graph, which of the following statements is TRUE?
Present-day sea level is the highest on record due to the current global warming trend. Sea level during the late Paleozoic/early Mesozoic was extremely low and coincides with the assemblage of Pangaea. Cenozoic sea level fluctuates but, on average, has increased since the earliest part of the era. Global sea-level change during the Paleozoic was on the order of 150 m.
Miners face dangers from which of the following hazards?
Rock falls Mine collapse Rock bursts High temperatures All of the possible answers are correct.
Throughout Earth's history, sea level has fluctuated greatly. This image shows changes in eustatic sea level over the last 500 million years. Based on the graph, which of the following statements is FALSE?
Sea level is lower now than during the early Cenozoic. Sea level was lowest during the late Paleozoic or early Mesozoic. Sea level dropped steadily over the course of the Mesozoic. Highest sea level was recorded in the late Mesozoic.
Where did the energy stored in coal originate?
Solar energy captured through photosynthesis Heat energy captured during deep burial Chemical energy from hydrocarbons Gravitational energy associated with compaction All of the possible answers are correct.
The figure below shows three different computer-model projections about the rate of global warming. Look at the figure to determine which of the following statements is FALSE.
Some of the emission models show potential decreases in global temperatures by the year 2100. The high emission model shows almost 4.5°C increase by 2100. Actual temperature observations have shown an increase in temperatures over the last 100 years. Even the most conservative model still shows a nearly 2°C increase in global temperatures by 2100.
An oil reserve requires which of the following components?
Source rock Reservoir rock Geologic trap Porosity and permeability All of the possible answers are correct
Which of the following emissions to the atmosphere is associated with burning coal?
Sulfuric acid (acid rain) Unburned hydrocarbons Soot Carbon dioxide All of the possible answers are correct.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
The oxygen-isotope ratios of ancient glacial ice indicate the atmospheric temperature of the snowfall that created the ice. Bubbles of air trapped in old ice show the nitrogen concentration of the ancient atmosphere, and this is an indicator of its temperature. The sunspot cycle is associated with a change in solar radiation received by Earth. Ice-house periods are long periods of time when Earth's atmosphere was significantly cooler than it is now.
The following figure shows oil forming under relatively high pressure (indicated by the arrow) from kerogen deep below the surface and starting to seep upward through cracks. Which statement is true about the stages of oil formation that have already occurred before the stage pictured? (Note, the entire statement must be true to be correct.)
The process started when dinosaurs and other large animals died, were gradually buried, and turned to kerogen under intense heat and pressure. The oil formed from plants that were buried deeply and turned to kerogen under intense heat and pressure. The oil formed when raw materials bubbled up from deep inside the Earth and, with pressure, gradually thickened into kerogen. The process started when microscopic animals, especially plankton, died and sank in oxygen-poor water. Their remains turned into kerogen as they were buried under intense heat and pressure.
Identify the FALSE statement.
The thermocline is the level below which water temperature drops sharply. The thermocline occurs at a depth of 300 m in the tropics but only 100 m in the polarregions. Sea-surface temperature has greater seasonal variation in the temperate latitudes than in the tropics. Sea-surface temperature varies much less than seasonal temperature changes on land.
Which of the following statements about growth rings of trees is FALSE?
The thickness of a tree ring can indicate the rate of growth of the tree. A thin ring indicates a warm, wet year; a thick ring represents a cold, dry year. Each tree ring represents one year of growth. Interpreting tree rings is, in a sense, a method of paleoclimatology.
The following image shows the orbital motion of ocean waves. Which statement BEST describes the motion of the waves shown in this image?
Wave movement is left to right. Wave movement is right to left. Waves oscillate left then right. Wave movement is random.
Identify the FALSE statement.
Weathering, vegetation, and water all influence the stability of a slope. Roots of vegetation tend to hold unconsolidated grains together and thus help stabilize slopes. Saturating a slope with water tends to hold unconsolidated grains together and thus helps stabilize slopes. Shaking can cause liquefaction of wet sediments by increasing water pressure between grains.
Surface currents
affect only the upper 30 feet of water. flow smoothly, with little or no turbulence. are found only in low- and mid-latitude areas. are influenced by Earth's rotation.
Identify the FALSE statement. If all ice on land melts due to global warming and sea level rises up to 70m
all four cities will be affected by the resulting sea-level increase. all of Florida will be underwater. the lower Mississippi River Valley and its adjacent cities will be inundated. the Gulf Coast will see a huge population displacement as people migrate away from inundated shorelines.
Which of the following would increase the risk of having a landslide?
allowing water to infiltrate the slope removing weight at the top of the slope adding support to the toe of the slope recontouring the slope to reduce its slope angle
The images below show a geologic feature in cartoon cross section and an aerial photograph. What coastal feature is shown in these images?
an estuary a tombolo a lagon a fjord
Identify the FALSE statement. Upwelling zones
are areas where water flows in a vertical direction. result when water deflected in toward the coast creates an oversupply there. bring nutrients up from depth. occur near the equator to replace water displaced by winds blowing steadily from east to west.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Anthropogenic (human induced) changes in the Earth system
are decreasing as human population grows and urbanization leads to more environmentally friendly practices. include landscape modifications resulting from construction, mining, and farming. have affected the ecosystems of regions by deforestation, overgrazing, agriculture, and urbanization. include global warming, which is greatly enhanced by society's production of greenhouse gases.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Avalanches
are high-velocity, mass-movement events. can happen when frozen snow layers are buried by new snow. can be triggered by the collapse of a cornice. are always dry, when snow tumbles downhill as a cloud of powder.
Identify the TRUE statement. Seamounts
are hot-spot volcanoes whose peaks lie below sea level. form at locations of sea floor spreading at divergent plate boundaries. are long troughs bordered by volcanic arcs. form when one plate shears sideways past another.
Identify the FALSE statement. Hurricanes
are huge storms that develop over warm tropical ocean water. can have winds exceeding 155 mph. wreak havoc in coastal regions due to excessive winds, strong waves, and storm surges. have a central zone of relatively calm weather called a typhoon.
Identify the FALSE statement. Submarine canyons
are narrow, deep valleys cut into the abyssal plain. can reach depths of almost 1,000 m. are continually eroded by the flow of submarine avalanches. can begin to form offshore of major rivers.
Identify the FALSE statement. Sea-level changes
are reflected by blankets of sediment called sedimentary sequences. have been recorded on the sedimentary cycle chart. are termed eustatic if they are local changes. have been as great as 300 m during the Phanerozoic Eon.
Identify the FALSE statement. The abyssal plains
are underlain by cool oceanic lithosphere. of the western Atlantic Ocean stretch from the base of the continental rise to the base of the mid-ocean ridge. are covered by microscopic plankton shells and fine flakes of clay. are dissected by submarine canyons.
Identify the FALSE statement. Estuaries
are valleys flooded by seawater. have brackish water in them. originated as glacial valleys. that are quiet can develop stratified water columns.
Consider phrases 1-8, below 1. careful inventory and mapping to determine dangers 2. weathering of minerals to produce clay 3. controlled blasting of unstable slopes 4. controlled water drainage 5. retaining walls along highway embankments 6. bolting loose slabs of rock to more coherent masses 7. removing support at the toe of the slope 8. adding weight at the top of the slope Which of these factors lead to mass movement?
choices 2, 4, 7, and 8 choices 2, 7, and 8 choices 3 and 8 only choices 1, 2, and 4
The image below shows a schematic for how one type of mass wasting moves. Which mass-wasting process is shown in this schematic?
creep slump rock fall landslide
The cartoon below shows a cross-section of the distribution of sediments after a mass-wasting event. Which mass-wasting process created this deposit?
creep slump rock slide landslide
This illustration shows many indicators of unstable ground—certainly things to look out for when buying a house! Based on the picture, what type of mass-wasting event is the area experiencing?
creep solifluction slump landslide
This image shows a laboratory model of a mass-wasting event. Though the scale is much smaller in the experiment, it is a good analog for the real event. Which mass-wasting event is shown in the laboratory experiment?
creep turbidity current solifluction landslide
The image below shows a coastal process that can initiate rockfall. In the image, the gray rocks are significantly softer than the tan rocks. Which process is being shown?
creep undercutting slumping solifluction
Slides with a spoon-shaped (concave upward) surface are called
creep. debris flows. avalanches slumps.
Which of the following is NOT a typical weak surface that geologists recognize as a potential failure surface?
crystalline igneous rock, like granite metamorphic foliation planes wet clay layers joints
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Mass movement
depends on the balance between the downslope force and the resistance force. can't happen underwater because the buoyancy force of water is too great. can happen under wet conditions or dry conditions. happens when the slope of a hill gets steeper than the angle of repose.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Mass extinction
events are times in Earth's history when species biodiversity increases. caused by a meteoric impact occurred at the end of the Mesozic. events may reflect catastrophic changes in Earth's climate. may happen when a volcanic eruption starts a chain of events that blocks sunlight for weeks or even years.
The image below shows planes of weakness or surfaces susceptible to sliding in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Which feature shown in the images below would be a plane of weakness within a metamorphic rock?
exfoliation surface shale bed bedding plane foliation
Which of the following is NOT a suitable method of managing mass wasting?
expansive water-drainage systems targeted, controlled explosions regrading steep slopes increasing the slope's load by planting vegetation on the tops of slopes
Identify the FALSE statement. Ocean water
has an average salinity of 3.5%. contains dissolved salts, like halite and gypsum. salinity decreases as seawater evaporates. is more dense than freshwater.
Identify the FALSE statement. Human population
has become a significant agent of global change. reached 1 billion in 1950. is currently a little over 7 billion. is doubling every 44 years.
All seas
have salinity ranging between 1 and 4.1%. have a surface temperature of 17°C, ± 2°C. have similar floors consisting of wide, gently sloping continental shelves, steeper continental slopes, gentle rises, and flat plains. have calm bottom waters with no apparent circulation.
The graph shows the change in CO2 concentrations over the last half century or so. What is responsible for the annual variation shown in the inset?
increased photosynthesis during the northern hemisphere summer Milankovitch cycles decreased organic decay during the northern hemisphere winter el Nino cycles
The hydrologic cycle
is a biogeochemical cycle, involving both physical and biological phenomena. is the only biogeochemical cycle; all other element cycles are restricted to either the physical world or the biological world, but not both. is an example of a unidirectional change. never results in global change because it maintains a steady state.
Identify the FALSE statement. The Coriolis effect
is a phenomenon created by the rotation of Earth. is a deflection of wind or water flowing over Earth's surface. causes opposite directions of deflection in the northern and southern hemispheres. causes north-flowing currents in the northern hemisphere to curve to the west.
Which of the following statements is TRUE? Ozone
is completely absent in a region of the troposphere called the ozone hole. is destroyed by human-produced chemicals, particularly sulfuric acid. destruction happens most rapidly on the surfaces of water molecules in the tropics. depletion happens in high-latitude regions, particularly the Antarctic.
Identify the FALSE statement. Continental crust
is more buoyant than ocean crust. sits higher than ocean crust. is composed of gabbro and basalt overlain by sediment. is thinner than ocean crust.
The two images below show a cartoon rendering of the effect of hard-stabilization, a technique used to preserve beaches from erosion. What structure(s) are shown in the image?
jetty groin breakwater seawall
What kind of mass wasting event occurred due to construction of the Vaiont Dam in the Italian Alps, which caused water to infiltrate the bedding planes on the slopes of nearby Monte Toc?
lahar mudflow rockslide slump
The Vaiont Dam area was vulnerable to mass movement because
limestone beds there dipped parallel to the mountain slope and were interlayered with weak shale. shale layers in that region dipped into the mountain slope, causing weakness. logging in the region had stripped the mountain tops of vegetation. underlying granite bedrock had begun to weather.
Which of the following are NOT living organisms?
mangroves moss polyps groins
Solifluction
means the water-table level fluctuates with precipitation. is a faster-than-usual kind of slump in wetlands. is a kind of creep that's found in high-elevation regions or in the Arctic on slopes that are underlain by permafrost. is the proper term for alternate expanding and contracting of swelling clays.
Identify the FALSE statement about the following diagram. This image shows the ocean "conveyor belt," which
mixes the entire oceans every 1.5 million years. forms due to changes in the density of seawater. sinks in polar latitudes, forming deep, cold salty water masses. exhibits thermohaline circulation of the ocean basins.
The tragedy in 1970 at Yungay, Peru
occurred during the day, so many people were out of town and loss of life was low (<200 people). started with an earthquake that triggered an icefall that in turn triggered a debris flow. is not considered mass wasting because it happened quickly, and, by definition, mass wasting is slow movement of material downslope. could happen again, unfortunately; the government rebuilt the town in the same place.
Which of the following elements is released into the atmosphere by all of these processes- volcanic outgassing, animal respiration and flatulence, burning of fossil fuels, and metamorphism of limestone?
oxygen carbon nitrogen sulfur
In the following diagram, the thin black line indicates the movement of seaweed from Time 1 to Time 2. The movement of the seaweed in a sawtooth pattern along the shoreline is called
tidal bulge. longshore drift rip currents the Coriolis effect.
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Classification of mass movement events is based on the
type of material involved (rock, regolith, snow, and ice). age of the material involved (historic, thousands of years old, or millions of years old). velocity of the movement (fast, intermediate, or slow). environment (subaerial or submarine).
This image shows the shoaling process as waves move from offshore toward a beach. Which statement BEST describes what happens to the wave as it approaches shore?
wave base increases and amplitude decreases wavelength increases and amplitude increases wave height decreases and wave base increases wave height increases and wavelength decreases
This image shows the different components of an ocean wave. What is the name for the measurement drawn in red at the right?
wave height wavelength amplitude wave base
The image below shows different parts of the carbon cycle, the balance between released carbon and absorbed carbon. Which of the processes shown produces anthropogenic CO2?
weathering combustion digestion dissolution
The image below shows different parts of the carbon cycle, the balance between released carbon and absorbed carbon. Which of the following processes does not absorb carbon?
weathering development of coral reefs building of limestone on the sea floor volcanic eruptions
Which of the following is FALSE? Mass movements can happen
when downslope force equals resistance force. on slopes. along joints and faults. when strong, intact rock gets weathered.
The following graph shows eustatic sea level throughout history. One factor that drives sea level is the amount of water sequestered on lan in the form of ice. Based on this information, and by reading the graph, when was the Earth the coldest in the last 500 years
~240 million years ago ~1 million years ago ~80 million years ago ~400 million years ago