Cha 14

How does the amount of a rock's surface area affect weathering?

The larger the area, the higher the rate of weathering.

All of the following are layers of mature residual soils EXCEPT a. humus. c. subsoil. b. topsoil. d. weathered bedrock.

humus

Tropical climates generally form soils in which the B horizon is covered by a thin layer of

humus

When overlaying rocks are removed from granite that formed deep beneath Earth's surface, pressure decreases, and the granite cracks into large, curved sheets through a process called

joints

Which of the following is NOT a process of chemical weathering? a. carbonation c. acid precipitation b. oxidation d. exfoliation

exfoliation

a horizontal layer of soil that is clearly different from the layers above and below it

horizon

In what climates is the weathering rate slowest?

hot, dry climates

a mineral resistant to mechanical and chemical weathering

quartz

Parent rock that contains large amounts of quartz, such as granite, will weather to form

sandy soil.

As a result of chemical weathering, even a hard rock such as granite can be turned into

sediment

the process by which water flows over a layer of soil and removes the topsoil

sheet erosion

a strong "glue" that enables sedimentary rock to resist weathering

silicates

Particles of rock material in soil with diameters from 0.002 to 0.05 mm are called

silt

The movement of a large block of soil and rock downhill in one piece when it becomes unstable is called a

slump

A soil conservation method of farming that uses alternating bands of crops is called

strip-cropping

Which of the following is NOT an agent of erosion? a. wind c. gravity b. glaciers d. sun

sun

the part of the rock that is exposed to agents of weathering

surface area

Which landform is NOT the result of weathering and erosion? a. mountains c. plateaus b. wetlands d. buttes

wetlands

What two processes are all landforms subject to? a. uplift and erosion c. slump and erosion b. gravity and exfoliation d. exfoliation and friction

uplift and erosion

Lichens and mosses produce weathering agents called

organic acids.

Which of the following is a form of mechanical weathering? a. oxidation c. hydrolysis b. abrasion d. carbonation

abrasion

Which of the following is NOT an agent of mechanical weathering? a. ice c. acid b. wind d. gravity

acid

Snow that weathers buildings in a city is an example of

acid precipitation.

Climates that have the fastest rate of weathering are

alternating hot and cold.

Which of the following describes a climate where you would expect to find thin soil consisting primarily of regolith with little evidence of humus? a. arctic c. temperate wet b. temperate dry d. tropical

arctic

Which of the following is NOT a common agent of erosion? a. water c. burrowing b. wind d. gravity

burrowing

Sedimentary rocks that weather most quickly contain

calcite

the change of a compound into a carbonate, which promotes chemical weathering

carbonation

Plant and animal activities affect the rate of what kind of weathering?

chemical and mechanical

Oxidation, hydrolysis, acid precipitation, and carbonation are examples of

chemical weathering

the process which breaks down rock through chemical reactions with the environment

chemical weathering

Parent rock that is rich in feldspar or aluminum-rich minerals becomes soil that has a lot of

clay

The process by which softer, less weather resistant rocks wear away at a faster rate than harder, more weather resistant rocks do is called

differential weathering

the process by which softer rocks wear away at a faster rate than harder rocks do

differential weathering

In which of the following erosion processes is gravity NOT a major factor? a. creep c. dust storms b. mudflows d. slump

dust storms

the process by which products of weathering are transported by agents such as water

erosion

All of these farming methods conserve soil EXCEPT a. furrowing. c. contour plowing. b. crop rotation. d. terracing.

furrowing

Which of the following is NOT a farming method that conserves topsoil? a. strip-cropping c. gullying b. terracing d. crop rotation

gullying

the formation of new substances when water reacts chemically with another substance

hydrolysis

A common form of mechanical weathering that results from the freezing and thawing of rock and that is strong enough to split even huge boulders is called

ice wedging

Abrasion is caused by all of the following agents EXCEPT a. wind. c. gravity. b. ice wedging. d. running water.

ice wedging.

thick, tropical soil containing iron and minerals that do not dissolve easily

laterites

Residual soil generally consists of all of the following layers EXCEPT a. partially weathered bedrock. c. topsoil. b. subsoil. d. lava.

lava

Which of the following is an example of a peneplain? a. low, rolling hills c. valleys b. dunes d. ponds

low, rolling hills

the traveling of a large area of sediment or a section of land down a slope

mass movement

Topography with high mountains and steep slopes are especially vulnerable to what type of weathering?

mechanical

Ice, plants and animals, gravity, running water, and wind are common agents of

mechanical weathering

the physical process by which rocks break down without changing their composition

mechanical weathering

an eroded, table-shaped plateau

mesa

the process in which elements react with oxygen

oxidation

soil formed in temperate areas that receive more than 65 cm of rain per year

pedalfer

Areas with low, rolling hills formed from mountains are a. plateaus. c. plains. b. mountains. d. peneplains.

peneplains

Which of the following is NOT a minor landform? a. hill c. plain b. dune d. valley

plain

Parent rock that is rich in quartz, such as granite, becomes soil that contains a lot of

sand

Arctic and desert climates generally form soil that is thin and contains mostly

regolith

the layer of weathered rock fragments that covers most of Earth's surface

regolith

a complex mixture of minerals, water, gases, and organic material

soil

the slow, downslope flow of soil saturated with water in areas surrounding glaciers at high elevations

solifluction

the elevation and slope of land

topography

In which of the following climates will you likely find thick soil containing iron and aluminum minerals that do not easily dissolve? a. temperate dry climates c. tropical climates b. desert climates d. arctic climates

tropical climates