Porinchu Test 3

in which region of the United States are eolian processes most effective?

southwest

when geologists or archaeologists dig downward into a unit of rock or sediment, they are digging "back in time". this fact is based on the principle of

superposition

desert pavement refers to

surfaces of concentrated pebbles and gravels

regular patterns of smooth, rounded waves are called

swells

pulverized rock and elastic materials ejected violently during an eruption are called

tephra, or pyroclastics

coral bleaching refers to

the loss of algae from the coral

uniformitarianism assumes that

the same physical processes we see today are a key to understanding the processes that have been operating throughout geologic time

which of the following is correct regarding continental drift?

the term "continental drift" is now called plate tectonics.

which of the following is correct regarding loess deposits?

they are formed of fine-grained clays and silts

the undulating form that gives earth's surface its character and general configuration is called

topography

a single groin can produce both sand erosion and deposition.

true

continental shields, or cratons, are generally of low elevation and old in age.

true

erosion of the walls of a channel normally occurs on the outside curve of a meander.

true

the Appalachians are older than the Rockies.

true

water can be considered a "universal" solvent.

true

water is a more effective agent of erosion in deserts than wind.

true

rocks that appear pitted and grooved, and sometimes polished smooth by eolian processes, are termed

ventifacts

composite cones have deep slopes and experience ___ eruptions because they are composed of ___.

violent; felsic

which of the following is an endogenic process?

volcanism

wave action works to straighten a coast as wave energy focuses around headlands and tends to disperse energy in coves and bays in a process called

wave refraction

which of the following is an exogenic process?

weathering

the state of Georgia is principally within which major drainage basin?

South Atlantic-Gulf

orogenesis refers to

a general term for a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust

a hypsographic curve is

a generalized curve showing earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level

drainage density refers to

a measure determined by dividing the length of all the channels by the area of its drainage basin

a cutoff on a meandering stream results in the formation of

an oxbow lake

an exotic stream is

any river that arises in a humid region and then passes through to an arid region

a common crescent-shaped dune with horns pointed downward is called a

barchan dune

sand that extends from a coast into open water is called a

barrier spit

particles of sand, gravels, and shells that move along the shore form the

beach drift

the largest material that can be carried by a stream is carried as

bed load

near the shore, waves of transition begin to "feel bottom" and as a result, the orbits of the water molecules in the wave become more ___. this process eventually causes ___ to form.

elliptical; breakers

the area at the surface directly above the subsurface location where seismic waves are initiated is termed the

epicenter

an extensive area of sand and sand dunes is known as a

erg, desert, or sand sea

the term eolian refers to

erosion, transportation, and deposition by the wind

a major drainage basin consists of a single watershed.

false

as the potential evapotranspiration increases, salinity decreases.

false

barrier islands are stable islands that are suitable for development.

false

earthquake and volcanic occurrences do not correlate well with crustal plate boundaries.

false

limestone is a lithified metamorphic rock, high in magnesium, whereas marble is a sedimentary form.

false

rivers have played a relatively minor role in the geography of human history.

false

the Alps in Europe are an example of a third order of relief.

false

the Atacama Desert is one of the world's driest regions and is located on the southwest coast of Africa.

false

the suspended load of a stream is the coarser materials that are dragged along the stream bed.

false

natural levees are created during

floods

stream-related processes are termed

fluvial

continental crust is basically ___, whereas oceanic crust is basically ___.

granite; basalt

what type of rock forms from the solidification of molten material?

igneous

consider the equation Q = wdv. according to the equation, if Q (discharge) remains constant, but w and d decrease (as when a channel becomes more narrow and shallow), the velocity will

increase

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

intermediate

an interruption in a stream's graded profile of equilibrium is called a

knickpoint

which side of a dune typically has a slope angle equal to that of the angle of repose for sand?

leeward

when people go swimming along a coast, they often find themselves, after a while, down the coast from where they first entered the water. they moved down shore because of

longshore currents

a rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as

metamorphic

at which of the following locations is new ocean crust being formed?

oceanic rift zones

on the desert floor, at locally low elevations, an intermittently wet-and-dry flat area in a region of closed (interior) drainage is called a

playa

vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as

relief

limestone is a type of ___ rock that forms when ___.

sedimentary; calcium carbonate precipitates, or organic material containing calcium carbonate accumulates in a water environment

an instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the

seismograph

which of the following is incorrectly matched?

shearing--stretching or faulting

stream transport involves all of the following except

sheet flow

the greatest flow from rivers east of the continental divide in the Rockies is into the

Gulf/Atlantic drainage

the sand-blasting action of wind-blown particles is called

abrasion

which of the following supports the continental drift concept?

all of the above support the theory.

a characteristic cone-shaped depositional feature in the desert that usually forms at the mouth of a canyon is known as an

alluvial fan

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

alluvium

which of the following is an example of a first order of relief?

an ocean basin

coral formations

are made of animals living symbiotically with simple algae

maximum velocity in a stream is found

at the center and near the surface, corresponding with the deepest parts of the stream channel

the total possible load a stream can transport is its ___, whereas a stream's ability to move particles of specific size is its ___.

capacity; competence

the belief that disasters have produced most of the major features of earth is called

catastrophism

after water itself, what are the primary elements which occur in sea water?

chlorine and sodium

which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in earth, from the surface to the center?

crust, aesthenosphere, lower mantle, core

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

deflation

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

yardangs