GEO Quiz on Weathering, Erosion and uplift.

Short Answer: a) Describe how freezing of water and salt crystal formation cause mechanical weathering. b) Explain why water in contact with rock plays a critical role in both mechanical and chemical weathering: give specific examples. c) How are clay minerals related to the weathering process?

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Short Answer: a) Explain how an old mountain range like the Appalachians can persist despite long-term erosion.

a) Erosion is at work while the mountains are being actively uplifted and long after until the mountains are reduced to low hills and plains.

Cold, old oceanic crust can be found: a) along convergent plate boundaries near subduction zones b) at the nothernmost section of transform boundaries c)at mid-ocean ridges rift zones d) none of the above

a) along convergent plate boundaries near subduction zones

Smaller materials can be transported from one location to another by the ______ process. a) erosion b) weathering c) mass transit d) dislocation

a) erosion

The main driving force for mass movement is a) gravity b) wind c) ice d) chemical weathering

a) gravity

What type of weathering is associated with the freezing of water in the joints of rocks? a) mechanical weathering b) chemical weathering c) biological weathering d) all of the above e) none of the above

a) mechanical weathering

The area characterized by continental arcs and nearby deep sea trenches occurs along a) ocean-continent convergent boundaries b) ocean-ocean convergent boundaries c) continent-continent convergent boundaries d) rift zones of divergent boundaries

a) ocean-continent convergent boundaries

Earthquakes release energy in the form of: a) seismic waves b) radiation waves c) propagation waves d) mechanical waves

a) seismic waves

Folding and uplifting of rocks to form mountains and the addition of new rock through volcanic eruptions are products of a) tectonic activity (plate movement) b) earthquakes c) mass movements d) none of these

a) tectonic activity (plate movement)

Crust is neither created nor destroyed at this boundary a) transform boundary b) divergent boundary c) spreading centers d) convergent boundary

a) transform boundary

Short Answer: b) why is erosion often rapid in areas of active tectonic uplift?

b) Active tectonic uplift becomes mountains which create steep slopes leading to high erosion rates.

In what climate type would you expect mechanical weathering to be most intense? a) Humid tropical b) Arid or semiarid c) Humid subtropical d) both a and b

b) Arid or semiarid

_____ is a process that breaks down rock. a) Erosion b) Weathering c) Mass movement d) Explosion

b) Weathering

High water contents in soil or fractured rock will a) increase slope stability b) decrease slope stability c) none of theses, water does not influence slope stability

b) decrease slope stability

What evidence best helps scientists understand the physical properties of Earth's internal structure? a) earth's density b) earthquake activity (seismic waves) c) volcanic activity d) atmospheric composition

b) earthquake activity (seismic waves)

Rates of erosion are generally greater a) in flat, lowland b) in steep mountains c) near the mouth of a river d) in dry desert valleys

b) in steep mountains

Tectonic forces from plate movement.... a) erode the surface of Earth b) warp, fold, and uplift rock c) control soil formation processes d) form sedimentary rock

b) warp, fold, and uplift rock

As mountain ranges, such as the Appalachian Mountains, erode, the: a) mountain peaks are standing at a lower elevation but never disappearing b) mountain peaks are slowly disappearing into a flat land c) mountain peaks are standing at or above their original elevation because of uplift d) mountains will eventually disappear and then grow into a large mountain belt again

c) mountain peaks are standing at or above their original elevation because of uplift

Weathering is a) the formation of larger landforms through natural processes b) the deposition of rocks and mineral particles c) the breakdown of rocks and minerals into smaller particles d) the transportation of rocks and minerals

c) the breakdown of rocks and minerals into smaller particles

Chemical weathering is generally more active in ____ climates. a) cold, dry b) cold, wet c) warm, wet d) warm, dry

c) warm, wet

Landslides occur when a) a threshold is reached b) the internal friction is overcome by the force of gravity c) when driving forces exceed resisting forces d) all of these e) a threshold is reached and internal friction is overcome by gravity only

d) all of these

Which of the following can initiate hillslope failure? a) making a roadcut in the side of a hill b) increasing the slope angle c) excessively watering a slope d) all of these

d) all of these

At which of the following locations does subduction occur? a) along collision zones between continents b) at sea floor spreading zones c) above mantle hot spots d) along collision zones between continental and oceanic plates

d) along collision zones between continental and oceanic plates

The process that describes the depression and rebound of continental crust due to adding or removing weight is called: a) continental drift b) seafloor spreading c) plate tectonics d) isostasy

d) isostasy

The most effective and significant agent of erosion globally is a) wind b) glaciers c) hurricanes d) running water e) coastal waves

d) running water

The following statement is true with regard to the Atlantic Ocean: a) The deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean is found right in the center b) Observing the cross-section (side view) will show that the Atlantic Ocean's profile is shaped like a bowl with the deepest areas ate at the center and it gets shallower as you move toward the continents c) The mid-Atlantic ocean ridge is a chain of volcanoes resulting from a converging boundary d) the oldest oceanic crust is found near continents

d) the oldest oceanic crust is found near continents