GE 101 - CH 3 Physical Geography - Multiple Choice

64. An accumulation of rock fragments at the base of hills and mountains is called __________. (3.5) a) talus c) mass debris b) mass wastes d) rock fall

a) talus

62. Which group of coastal features exists as the result of erosion by sea waves? (3.5) a) sea cliffs, headlands, embayments c) fringing reefs, barrier reefs, atolls b) sandbars, talus slopes, sandpits d) deltas, cuspate bars, capes

a) sea cliffs, headlands, embayments

34. The Richter scale is a well-known measure of the magnitude of __________. (3.4) a) seismic waves. c) epicenters b) tsunamis. d) tectonic forces

a) seismic waves.

95. When a continental plate collides with an oceanic plate, the oceanic plate is forced down towards the asthenosphere in a process known as __________. (3.3) a) subsistence c) subduction b) coring d) folding

a) subsistence

94. The scientist who first proposed the idea of the existence of one supercontinent prior to its breakup millions of years ago is __________. (3.3) a) Alfred Wegener c) Alexander von Humboldt b) Charles Darwin d) William Morris Davis

a) Alfred Wegener

78. What is the relationship between moving water and its load? (3.5) a) Rapidly moving water has a greater stream load. b) Rapidly moving water has no stream load. c) Slow moving water has a greater stream load. d) Slow moving water has no stream load.

a) Rapidly moving water has a greater stream load

69. Which tectonic plate is the principal cause of the Andes Mountains? (3.3) a) The Nazca Plate c) The North American Plate b) The Arabian Plate d) The Caribbean Plate

a) The Nazca Plate

90. The "ring of fire" refers to the location of earthquakes and volcanoes __________. (3.3) a) along the rim of the Pacific Ocean c) along the mid-North Atlantic seafloor b) on the Hawaiian Islands d) surrounding the Indian Ocean

a) along the rim of the Pacific Ocean

50. A zone of subduction is associated with the occurrence of __________. (3.2) a) deep-sea trenches and mountain ranges b) mid-ocean ridges and volcanoes c) transform faults and earthquakes. d) relatively flat terrain on the ocean floor

a) deep-sea trenches and mountain ranges

26. The landform often formed at the mouth of a heavily silted stream is called a(n) __________. (3.5) a) delta c) offshore bar b) spit d) lateral moraine

a) delta

97. Deep, U-shaped valleys that were carved out by glaciers and are below sea level today are known as __________. (3.5) a) fjords c) trenches b) cavities d) fissures

a) fjords

36. Which of the following groups contains processes caused only by mechanical weathering? (3.5) a) frost action, root action, development of salt crystals b) hydrolysis, oxidation, carbonation c) frost action, carbonation, root action d) development of salt crystals, oxidation, carbonation

a) frost action, root action, development of salt crystals

68. Granite, basalt, pumice, and obsidian are all ______ rocks. (3.1) a) igneous c) sedimentary b) metamorphic d) diastrophic

a) igneous

57. Terrain created by an underground solution of limestone creating sinkholes and caverns is known as __________. (3.5) a) karst topography c) belted topography b) knob and kettle topography d) gradational topography

a) karst topography

30. Which of the following groups contain only landforms produced by glacial deposition? (3.5) a) lateral moraines, fiords, permafrost c) lateral moraines, terminal moraines, outwash plains b) outwash plains, lateral moraines, fiords d) fiords, outwash plains, terminal moraines

a) lateral moraines, fiords, permafrost

92. The layer of the earth that is broken up into 12 large and many small, rigid plates is the __________. (3.3) a) lithosphere c) asthenosphere b) mantle d) outer core

a) lithosphere

84. Limestone under certain conditions may undergo a metamorphosis to become __________. (3.1) a) marble c) slate b) gneiss d) granite

a) marble

71. Permafrost refers to areas __________. (3.5) a) of permanently frozen ground b) where glaciers are present c) where the nighttime temperatures dip below 0°C, thus creating frost every morning d) with snow-capped mountains

a) of permanently frozen ground

28. The theory of continental drift was formulated because __________ . (3.3) a) of the remarkable fit of the continents b) scientists observed that the Atlantic Ocean was widening c) of the mountain ranges on the fringes of the Pacific Ocean d) the landforms moved over faults

a) of the remarkable fit of the continents

81. All of the following are associated with stream landscapes in arid areas except __________. (3.5) a) oxbow lakes c) alluvial fans b) arroyos d) washes

a) oxbow lakes

46. Glaciers move because __________. (3.5) a) the weight of snow causes compaction at the base and the formation of ice, which becomes plastic-like. b) the gravitational pull on steep slopes causes avalanches that dislodge the snow accumulations. c) the rotation of the earth holds the snowfields back, thereby forcing them to move. d) tectonic forces from within the earth dislodge loose materials, such as great slabs of snow and ice.

a) the weight of snow causes compaction at the base and the formation of ice, which becomes plastic-like.

51. The major volcanic belt is located near the major earthquake and fault zones because __________. (3.4) a) volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults tend to be concentrated at or near plate boundaries b) volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all interrelated forms of volcanism c) volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all coastal processes d) volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all gradational processes

a) volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults tend to be concentrated at or near plate boundaries

22. The separation of South America from Africa was caused by __________. (3.3) a) a convergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean b) a divergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean c) subduction along the Atlantic Coast of South America d) subduction along the Atlantic Coast of Africa

b) a divergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean

83. The most common rock on the Earth's surface is the igneous rock __________. (3.1) a) granite c) coal b) basalt d) limestone

b) basalt

21. Which one of the following groups contains only sedimentary rocks? (3.1) a) limestone, sandstone, granite c) marble, basalt, conglomerate b) conglomerate, limestone, shale d) slate, gneiss, marble

b) conglomerate, limestone, shale

76. The effect of wind erosion is most prevalent in areas with __________. (3.5) a) dense vegetation c) exposed bedrock b) dry climates d) humid climates

b) dry climates

42. Karst topography is created by chemical weathering of ___________ rocks. (3.5) a) basalt c) granitic b) limestone d) gneiss

b) limestone

43. Which of the following is a wind-deposited material? (3.5) a) karst c) Richter b) loess d) barchan

b) loess

59. Fine-grained, windblown silt deposits are known as __________. (3.5) a) till c) drift b) loess d) talus

b) loess

82. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed below ground level by the hardening of __________. (3.1) a) lava c) feldspar b) magma d) pumice

b) magma

98. Found in the South Pacific, reefs that are formed in shallow water around a volcano that has since been covered or nearly covered by water are known as __________. (3.5) a) spits c) lagoons b) sandbars d) atolls

d) atolls

102. Although they are much less extensive today, glaciers covered a large part of the Earth's land area during the last Ice Age which ended about __________. (3.5) a) 100,000 years ago c) 1,000 years ago b) 10,000 years ago d) 100 years ago

b) 10,000 years ago

19. The earth is approximately __________ billion years old. (3.2) a) 3.5 c) 6.0 b) 4.5 d) 10 to 12

b) 4.5

27. Which of the following statements about karst topography is NOT true? (3.5) a) It is found in limestone regions. b) It is found in arid regions. c) It results from the action of water. d) It often results in sinkholes and caverns.

b) It is found in arid regions.

25. This depositional feature is created in arid regions when a stream exits the mountains and enters a flat lowland. (3.5) a) oxbow lake c) natural levee b) delta d) alluvial fan

d) alluvial fan

20. An intrusive igneous rock is formed from __________. (3.1) a) lava that cools rapidly on the earth's surface. b) magma that cools slowly beneath the earth's surface. c) other rocks that are transformed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions beneath the earth's surface. d) sediments that have accumulated under water in horizontal beds.

b) magma that cools slowly beneath the earth's surface.

86. Which of the following is not a depositional landform? (3.5) a) delta c) sandbar b) mesa d) alluvial fan

b) mesa

31. Which of the following rock types is formed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions within the earth's crust acting on the other two major types of rocks? (3.1) a) tectonic c) sedimentary b) metamorphic d) igneous

b) metamorphic

39. Which of the following landforms are found in the floodplains of humid areas? (3.5) a) natural levees, washes c) mesas, buttes b) natural levees, oxbow lakes d) dunes, arroyos

b) natural levees, oxbow lakes

100. The type of rock that evolves under water in horizontal beds of strata are known as __________. (3.1) a) metamorphic c) igneous b) sedimentary d) basaltic

b) sedimentary

74. In humid areas, stream erosion may be accelerated by __________. (3.5) a) vegetation c) relatively flat floodplains b) steep downhill gradients d) natural levees

b) steep downhill gradients

38. Which of the following landforms results mainly from the effect of mass wasting or mass movement? (3.5) a) mesa c) alluvial fan b) talus d) delta

b) talus

80. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the entire continental crust was connected in one supercontinent, from which the present day continents began to separate about __________. (3.3) a) 50 million years ago c) 225 million years ago b) 160 million years ago d) 4.7 billion years ago

c) 225 million years ago

93. The name of the supercontinent that broke apart as the seafloor began to spread hundreds of millions of years ago is __________. (3.3) a) Eurasia c) Pangaea b) Thalassa d) Gaia

c) Pangaea

73. Which area is not a subduction zone where two plates collide? (3.3) a) Southeast Asia c) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge b) The Andes Mountains d) Caribbean Plate

c) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge

53. What are the three processes in which diastrophism is involved? (3.4) a) weathering, mass wasting, erosion c) broad warping, folding, faulting b) oxidation, hydrolysis, carbonation d) subduction, seafloor spreading, transform movement

c) broad warping, folding, faulting

67. Oxidation, hydrolysis, and carbonation are forms of __________. (3.5) a) mechanical weathering c) chemical weathering b) diastrophism d) volcanism

c) chemical weathering

72. The water table is __________. (3.5) a) a raised lake c) the entire saturated zone b) the top of the saturated zone d) an aquifer

d) an aquifer

49. Which of the following is NOT one of the steps in the rock cycle? (3.1) a) cementation and compaction of sediment into sedimentary rocks b) weathering, transport, and deposition of igneous rocks into sediment c) cooling and solidification of magma into metamorphic rocks d) pressure and heat converting igneous rocks into metamorphic rocks

c) cooling and solidification of magma into metamorphic rocks

66. _____________ is the great pressure acting on the plates that deforms them by folding, twisting, warping, breaking, or compressing rock. (3.4) a) volcanism c) diastrophism b) subduction d) mass movement

c) diastrophism

32. Which of the following processes was responsible for the Ridge and Valley region of the eastern United States? (3.4) a) jointing c) folding b) faulting d) earthquakes

c) folding

99. The study of the origin, characteristics, and development of landforms is known as __________. (3.6) a) cartography c) geomorphology b) limnology d) demography

c) geomorphology

58. Sharp ridges and U-shaped valleys are characteristic features of mountains that have undergone __________. (3.5) a) stream erosion. c) glaciation. b) wind erosion. d) diastrophism.

c) glaciation.

35. If a land surface where a mountain once stood is now a low, flat plain, __________ have been at work. (3.5) a) tectonic forces c) gradational processes b) volcanoes d) earthquakes

c) gradational processes

79. The Earth's crust is the outer, lighter portion of the __________. (3.3) a) asthenosphere c) lithosphere b) lower mantle d) outer core

c) lithosphere

89. The downslope movement of material due to gravity is called __________. (3.5) a) erosion c) mass movement b) deposition d) weathering

c) mass movement

91. A particular chemical combination that has a hardness, density, and definite crystal structure of its own is called a(n) __________. (3.1) a) compound c) mineral b) element d) isotope

c) mineral

77. Longshore currents modify the landscape by __________. (3.5) a) creating cliff-like structures b) creating reefs and atolls c) moving parallel to the shoreline and forming beaches and sand spits d) removing sand from beaches and washing it out to sea

c) moving parallel to the shoreline and forming beaches and sand spits

65. Which one of the following is NOT a landform created by glaciers? (3.5) a) outwash plain c) oxbow lake b) kame d) cirque

c) oxbow lake

44. Earthquakes are most often caused by __________. (3.4) a) mass movement. c) pressure at lithospheric plate boundaries. b) gradational processes. d) hot spots

c) pressure at lithospheric plate boundaries.

37. The most important erosional agent is __________. (3.5) a) groundwater flow. c) running water b) chemical oxidation. d) wind

c) running water

96. The ability of running water to erode a surface does not depend on the __________. (3.5) a) steepness of the slope c) strength of the wind b) underlying bedrock d) amount of precipitation

c) strength of the wind

47. Continental glaciers exist today in __________. (3.5) a) the Northern Hemisphere only. c) the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres. b) the Southern Hemisphere only. d) no part of the world.

c) the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres.

40. Theories of the evolution of glaciers include, as possible causes, all of the following EXCEPT __________. (3.5) a) periods of excessive dust in the atmosphere. b) changes in the shape, the tilt, and the seasonal positions of the earth's orbit around the sun. c) the drifting of continental plates over tropical regions. d) the periodic changes in the amount of solar energy received on the earth's surface.

c) the drifting of continental plates over tropical regions.

23. A large destructive sea wave resulting from an earthquake is called a __________ . (3.4) a) rogue wave. c) tsunami. b) Pangaea. d) subduction wave.

c) tsunami.

88. Which erosional agent forms sand dunes? (3.5) a) waves c) wind b) streams d) melting glaciers

c) wind

45. For millions of years the Atlantic Ocean has been widening at the rate of about __________ per year. (3.3) a) 1 mile (1.6 km) c) 1 foot (0.3 m) b) 1 yard (0.9 m) d) 1 inch (2.5 cm)

d) 1 inch (2.5 cm)

60. The largest areas of continental-size glaciers in the world today are in __________. (3.5) a) the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayan Mountains b) the Himalayan Mountains and the Andes Mountains c) Siberia, Canada, and Alaska d) Antarctica and Greenland

d) Antarctica and Greenland

56. Great fractures in the Earth's crust caused an extensive rift valley system in __________. (3.4) a) the Mediterranean Basin. c) California b) Pennsylvania. d) East Africa

d) East Africa

48. The sand grains that make up beaches originated mainly from __________. (3.5) a) windblown materials from desert environments. b) the great rivers of the world. c) melting icebergs. d) coastal erosion and streams.

d) coastal erosion and streams.

54. The Richter scale measures the __________. (3.4) a) wind speed and central pressure of a hurricane or typhoon b) damage potential of a tornado c) volume of material released by a volcanic eruption d) energy released by an earthquake

d) energy released by an earthquake

87. The Sierra Nevada mountains were formed as a result of __________. (3.4) a) volcanism c) folding b) warping d) faulting

d) faulting

63. A tsunami can occur due to all of the following EXCEPT a(n) __________. (3.4) a) earthquake. c) volcanic eruption. b) underwater landslide. d) hydrolysis.

d) hydrolysis.

24. The breaking up of rock by freezing and thawing is the result of __________. (3.5) a) chemical weathering. c) erosion. b) mass wasting. d) mechanical weathering.

d) mechanical weathering.

61. A hilly depositional feature formed when a glacier melts is a __________. (3.5) a) cirque c) col b) tarn d) moraine

d) moraine

55. The breakup of rock into smaller fragments of the same material is called __________. (3.5) a) decomposition. c) chemical weathering. b) carbonation. d) physical weathering.

d) physical weathering.

101. Narrow columns of hot mantle rock that can form 'hot spots' of volcanism beneath the centers of oceanic plates are known as __________. (3.4) a) cutaways c) coils b) pillars d) plumes

d) plumes

52. Coal and petroleum occur in the group of rocks classified as __________. (3.1) a) igneous c) plutonic b) metamorphic d) sedimentary

d) sedimentary

41. Longshore currents are responsible for the creation of __________. (3.5) a) moraines. c) salt marshes b) lagoons or inlets. d) spits

d) spits

33. Earthquakes result from __________. (3.4) a) a reduction of tectonic forces b) vibrations caused by seismic waves c) seismic waves d) the buildup of tension as tectonic forces are applied

d) the buildup of tension as tectonic forces are applied

29. The world's tallest extant mountains were formed by __________. (3.4) a) mechanical weathering. b) fluid basaltic lava flows. c) the collision of the Pacific and North American plates. d) the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

d) the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

70. A __________ plate boundary is characterized by plates sliding past each other horizontally. (3.3) a) divergent c) convergent b) emergent d) transform

d) transform

85. Which of the following is NOT caused by diastrophism? (3.4) a) folding c) faulting b) broad warping d) volcanism

d) volcanism

75. Igneous rocks are classified on the basis of __________. (3.1) a) how fast they cooled b) the temperature of the earth material c) their texture and composition d) whether they cooled above or below the Earth's surface

d) whether they cooled above or below the Earth's surface