FInal Exam
The construction of a dam across a river is likely to cause ________ upstream and ________ downstream.
Aggredation; Erosion
Creep involves movement of soil
At a slow almost non distiguishable pace
How are clay minerals related to the weathering process?
Clay minerals are amongst the most popular material that is weathered away through chemical weathering, therefore it is important to the whole process of weathering.
Continental drift
The slow movement of the modern continents away form the core super continent
Mechanical Weathering
any of the various weathering processes that cause physical disintegration of exposed rock without any change in the chemical composition of the rock: Collision between rock surfaces can cause mechanical weathering.
Regular patterns of smooth, rounded waves are called
swells
Waves in shallow water that "feel bottom" are ________ and more ________ spaced than the swell they are related to.
taller, closely
Which of the following conditions is not conducive to the formation of barrier islands?
tectonically active coasts
Smaller materials can be transported from one location to another by the ______process.
...
Stream longitudinal profiles are typically concave, but with variations. What usually causes variations from a smooth concave profile?
...
What is the discharge of a river with a depth of 0.5 meters, width of 10 meters and a flow velocity of 0.5 meters/second
2.5 m^3/sec
Of the average precipitation over the lower 48 states, what percentage evaporates and/or transpires on the average per day?
71 Percent
Which of the following is true regarding the hydrologic cycle?
78% of all precipitaion falls on the ocean
Which of the following is typically produced by the deposition of glacial till?
A Moraine
Continental glacier:
A broad ice sheet resting on a plain or plateau and spreading outward from a central region of accumulation.
What is a fjord and how is it formed?
A fjord is a small , narrow inlet of land with steep sides or cliffs that are formed by glaciers carving U-shaped valleys through abrasion.
Glacial polish results from
Abrasion
The Hawaiian Islands were formed as a result of
A rising plume of magma from the mantle
Mass Movement
A spontaneous downslope movement of earth materials driven by gravity
Dynamic Equilibrium
A state of balance between continuing processes
These are erosional coastal features a) sea caves b) tombolos c) sea cliffs d) wave-cut platforms e) a,c, and d
A, C, and D
Infiltration rates depend on which of the following a) dryness or wetness of soils b) vegetation coverage c) intensity and duration of rainfall d) land use such as cattle grazing e) all of these
All of the Above
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
All of the Above
Which statement best describes the features of Earth's continental crust? a) Continental landmasses have the lowest densities and may sometimes float over denser material b) Composed mostly of felsic rocks c) Feldspar is a common mineral found along Earth's crust d) all of the above
All of the Above
The general term for clay, silt, and sand deposited by running water is
Alluvium
At which of the following locations does subduction occur?
Along Collison zones between continetal and Oceanic Plates
Potential evapotranspiration refers to
Amount of water that would evaporate or transpire if available
Alpine glaciers include all of the following except a) an ice cap. b) a mountain glacier. c) a cirque glacier. d) a valley glacier.
An ice cap
Which of the following will lead to the development of stream terraces? a) tectonic uplift which steepens channels b) decreased sediment yield into the stream c) a drop in base level on tributaries of a larger stream d) any of the above
Any of the Above
Which of the following is false regarding the Pleistocene ice sheets in North America? a) At their maximum, they extended only to the present-day Canadian border. b) Their maximum thickness was about 2 km (1.2 mi). c) They dramatically altered the landscape of much of the U.S. d) The edges of the ice sheets were not even; rather, they were characterized by ice lobes that formed curved edges. e) They disappeared by 7,000 years ago.
At their maximum, they extended only to the present day Canadian Border
Which of the following is not an example of an erosional coastal landform? a) sea arch b) barrier spit c) wave-cut platform d) notched cliff
Barrier Spit
Describe the part of a typical barrier island and summarize the problems associated with development on these landforms.
Barrier islands formed as spits that grew across large bays and were eventually broken up by inlets to form chains of islands. The problems with development on these landforms is being low and exposed they are vulnerable to hurricanes, and severe storm waves can temporarily erase parts of them.
Wave refraction:
Bending of the wave caused by shoaling
Which of the following stream channel forms is likely to develop when aggradation greatly exceeds erosion?
Braided Channels
The total possible load a stream can transport is its ________, whereas a stream's ability to move particles of specific size is its ________.
Capacity; Compitence
A glacier that is confined in a bowl-shaped recess in a mountain area is called a
Cirque glacier
Briefly summarize the evidence supporting the notion of continental drift at the time that Wegener proposed it. Why was this idea not accepted by the majority of geologists at the time?
Closely related fossil plants and animals that seemed likely to have evolved in the same geographic region were now scattered across south Africa south America india Australia and Antarctica. The idea what not accepted by the majority because a process that could move continents like rafts over the solid earth was unknown
The small mountain-side glaciers carve out amphitheater-like basins producing _____ high up in a mountain.
Criques
Where do continental glaciers currently exist?
Currently, continental glaciers are located in various mountain ranges around the world along with places like Antarctica and Greenland.
For what landform theory is William Morris Davis known?
Cycle of Erosion
High water contents in soil or fractured rock will
Decrease Slope Stability
The effect of urbanization on a typical stream hydrograph is to
Decrease lag between storm peak and peak stream discharge
As base level is approached by a stream, the ability of a stream to erode its bed
Decreases
Describe the motion of water parcels near the surface as a wave passes in the deep ocean, then constast that with what happens as incoming waves enter shallow water.
Deep ocean: oscillate up and down in a circular motion. Shallow water: circular path becomes oval, wave gets steeper and taller.
Floodplains are formed by
Deposition on point bars of meandering streams and by overbank flows
The presence of till indicates
Direct deposition by a glacier
The gradient or slope of a stream is calculated by
Dividing the change in elevation of two points of a stream by the stream length between those two points
What evidence best helps scientists understand the physical properties of Earth's internal structure
Earth Quake Activity
Why is erosion often rapid in areas of active tectonic uplift?
Erosion is often rapid in areas of active tectonic uplift because as the features are being created they are simultaneously being eroded by glaciers and mass movement
Explain how an old mountain range like the Appalachians can persist despite long-term erosion.
Erosion removes the load from the ridges, then isotoic adjustment rises the remaining mountain because it weights less
Which of the following is the fastest form of mass movement?
Fall
Barrier island
Flat, lumpy areas of sand parallel to the mainland
Longshore current
Flow parallel to the shoreline
What is a longshore current, and how is it generated?
Flow parallel to the shoreline, generated by swells sweeping into the shoreline at an angle.
Describe how freezing of water and salt crystal formation cause mechanical weathering.
Freezing water and the formation of salt crystals are both forms of mechanical weathering, because they both involve physical change to the surface of the effected area. The only difference is that salt crystals are formed in arid and warmer regions while freezing water takes place in colder areas
Sustained rapid movement of glaciers as much as one meter per hour and as long as a month or more is:
Glacial Surge
Define till and glacial drift and explain the difference between these terms
Glacial drift is loose rocks and debris that have been deposited by glaciers and melted water, but the till is sediment that is deposited when the glacier melts or breaks. Till hasn't been sorted or anything.
The main driving force for mass movements is
Gravity
The bulk of ice on Earth is in
Greenland and Antartica
The suspended load of a stream consists of particles that are
Held above the stream bed in the flowing water
High drainage densities are usually related to
High Rates of Erosion
Wave length
Horizontal distance from one crest to the next
All of the following are erosional features of glaciers EXCEPT: a) moraines b) cirques c) aretes d) horns
Horns
Which of these is not a form of mechanical weathering?
Oxidation
In what climate type would you expect mechanical weathering to be most intense?
Humid Subtropical
In what climate type would you expect chemical weathering to be most intense?
Humid Tropical
Rates of erosion are generally greater
In steep mountains
Sea level rise associated with global warming should be expected to:
Increase rates of coastal erosion
Aggradation near the upstream part of the longitudinal profile of the stream will result in
Increased stream power and increased profile steepness
Precipitation that reaches Earth's surface penetrates the soil surface through the process of
Infiltration
The process that describes the depression and rebound of continental crust due to adding or removing weight is called:
Isostasy
Which of the following is true regarding permafrost?
It develops where soil or rock temperatures are below freezing for atleast two years
Storm surges result in part from
Low atmospheric pressure along the coast associated with storms
The effect of the concentration of wave energies on headlands is to
Make the Coastline straighter
A spontaneous downslope movement of Earth materials driven by gravity is called
Mass Movement
Gravity driven processes that move material downslope are termed
Mass Movements
How do meandering and braided channel forms differ from each other?
Meandering streams consist of successive meanders that develop in relatively flat areas, like floodplains. Braided streams on the other hand consist of multiple small, shallow channels that separate and recombine numerous times forming a braid pattern. They usually form where the sediment load is so heavy.
What type of weathering is associated with the freezing of water in the joints of rocks?
Mechanical Weathering
As mountain ranges, such as the Appalachian Mountains, erode, the:
Mountain peaks are standing at or above the original elevation
These two factors are important in the development of dunes next to beaches
Much vegitation, humid climate
The area characterized by continental arcs and nearby deep sea trenches occurs along
Ocean-Continent Convergent Boundries
In meandering rivers erosion occurs mainly
On the outer parts of the bend
Where on a meander is erosion the greatest?
On the outside
Convergent plate boundary
Plates that run into each other and converge in subduction
During the Pleistocene, large lakes covered much of the Western United States, such as Lake Bonneville in Utah. These are called:
Pluvial Lakes
How do pluvial lakes relate to glaciation?
Pluvial lakes relate to glaciation because these lakes were a result of large glaciers charving out depressions in the earth that would eventually fill up with water and make lakes. These lakes drained or dried up now, but they were originally created by glaciers.
Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert?
Potential Evapotranspiration exceeds actual evapotranspiration
How does potential evapotranspiration differ from actual evapotranspiration?
Potential evapotranspiration is the amount that would evaporate or transpire if available. Actual evapotranspiration is what actually evaporates or transpire
The following are all forms of ablation EXCEPT: a) melting b) evaporating c) calving d) precipitation
Precipitation
Why does heavy rainfall trigger landslides in many areas with steep slopes?
Rainfall affects the slope stability and soil, because what the water does is loosen the soil and or sediments and makes them prone to gravity and sliding downhill in some kind of mass movement.
Which type of flood does most of the modification to the landscape?
Rare Large Floods
Several large, linear lakes are forming in East Africa. This is evidence of what process?
Rifting
Which of these is NOT a landform?a) hill b) mountain c) sinkhole d) Rocky Mountains e) a sand dune
Rocky Mountains
The most effective and significant agent of erosion globally is
Running Water
The growth of ______ crystals in arid regions has similar effects on rocks as do frost action in cold regions.
Salt
The lower zone in the ground in which all the pores are filled with water is termed the
Saturated Zone
In order to preserve their beaches, cities located along a coast will often build groins that protrude into the sea. What is the result of this process?
Sediment is deposited on the side of the groin facing into the current, and this results in deposition in the desired location.
Earthquakes release energy in the form of
Seismic waves
Describe at least two sequences of events that can produce stream terraces, and explain how the events are related to the balance between sediment supply and transport capacity.
Sequence one is when water digs deeper into the loose bedrock or stream bottom and lowers the water level as a whole which leaves partcially eroded materials in a flat surface out of the water. Sequence two is when a river's water level begins to drop and as it drops it leaves these flat stream terraces.
How does snow become transformed into glacial ice?
Snow is transformed into glacial ice by being continuously compressed and frozen. This makes the snow compact and icy.
A persistent, slow mass movement of surface soil is called a
Soil Creep
How do spits and baymouth bars form?
Spits are formed when longshore drift occurs and the shifting sediment reaches a bay or a bend in the shoreline. It is an extension of the beach. It begins as a small tongue of sand and gows larger over time. Baymouth bars are just spits that continue to grow all the way across the mouth of a bay.
Groins are usually constructed to
Stabalize beaches by lessening erosion
Areas of high relief tend to have
Steep Slopes and High Rates of Erosion
Water moving up the beach after the wave breaks is termed
Swash
Folding and uplifiting of rocks to form mountains and the addition of new rock through volcanic eruptions are products of
Tectonic Activity
What can cause stream rejuvenation?
Tectonic Uplift
Weathering is
The Breakdown of Rocks and Minerals into smaller particles
The ultimate base level for a river is
The Ocean
Zone of accumulation
The accumulation zone is also defined as the part of a glacier's surface, usually at higher elevations, on which there is net accumulation of snow, which subsequently turns into firn and then glacier ice.
The coarsest sediment deposited on an alluvial fan is found
The apex of the fan
Isostacy
The condition of vertical equilibrium between the floating landmasses and the asthenosphere beneath them
What are the differences between oceanic and continental crust?
The continental crust is much less dense than the oceanic crust and is made of felsic rock while ocean crust is mafic rock
Explain why the crust is currently rising in elevation in Scandanavia, Hudson Bay, and the Lake Superior region.
The crust is still rebounding from past glacierization
Compare and contrast the cycle of erosion as envisioned by William Morris Davis and the concept of dynamic equilibrium.
The cycle of erosion refers to how running water from streams and rivers shape landforms and create them, while the theory of dynamic equilibrium refers to the losing and gaining of materials to keep at a steady equilibrium. Both involve the loss of material, but only dynamic equilibrium involves gaining back material.
How do creep, slides, and flows differ as specific forms of mass movement?
The difference between creeps, slides, and flows is the speed in which they occur along with the amount of mass they end up moving. Creeps usually don't move as much mass as does a flow or a slide.
What discoveries prompted the hypothesis of seafloor spreading?
The discovery of the mid Atlantic ridge and how young the rocks at it are
The following statement is true with regard to the Atlantic Ocean
The oldest oceanic crust is found near continents
Tide
The rise and fall of sea level along all ocean coasts
Which of the following is false regarding tsunamis?
They are very tall in the open ocean
Crust is neither created nor destroyed at this boundary
Transform Boundary
The material in a glacial moraine is usually
Unsorted
Storm surge
Unusually high water level caused by powerful winds and large waves
How is the process of meander migration related to the formation of floodplains?
Usually meandering rivers form in flatter areas like floodplains. The flat surface allows water to flow, but doesn't allow it to flow straight, which leads to the meandering of the river or stream.
Unlike a stream-cut valley that assumes a characteristic ________-shape, a glacially-carved valley evidences a characteristic ________-shape.
V; U
What two factors determine stream discharge?
Velocity, Cross sectional area of stream
Wave height
Vertical distance between the crest and trough
Which of the following are located along the mid-ocean ridges?
Volcanos
Chemical weathering is generally more active in ______climates.
Warm, Wet
Tectonic forces
Warp Fold and Uplift Rock
Most chemical weathering involves
Water
Explain why water in contact with rock plays a critical role in both mechanical and chemical weathering: give specific examples.
Water can be a part of both mechanical and chemical weathering depending on whether the water is fresh or salt water. If rocks on the shore of an ocean are in contact with salt water, then they will weather from the salt and other chemicals in the water along with mechanically weathering.
How do vegetation cover, soil texture, and soil structure influence infiltration?
Water can infiltrate more rapidly into coarse, sandy soils than into clay soils. The pores between sand grains are much larger than those between closely packed silt or clay particles and allow water to flow more rapidly into the soil
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
______is a process that breaks down rock.
Weathering
Littoral zone
Where land meets sea
As the discharge of a stream increases, which of the following also happens? a) Stream channels narrow, become shallower, and lose velocity. b) The rate of flow decreases. c) Channel width increases but channel depth decreases. d) Width, depth, and velocity all increase.
Width, Depth, and Velocity all increase
Lake waves would be largest when
Winds are strong and fetch is long
Can events like Hurricane Sandy be attributed to global warming? Why or why not?
Yes Warmer ocean temperatures latter in the year important for hurricane formation, greater atmospheric moisture also important for hurrican formation, higher temp higher evaporation rates, as well as sea level rise
Given the expected effects of global warming on evaporation and precipitation, do you think streams in general should experience more flooding and instability in the future, or less? Explain.
Yes beacuase more precipitation means more rain so the so streams will flood, and if global warming gives us more storms you have more variablity in run off, if you have more variablity in run off you have more variablity in stream discharge, size and shape of stream channels will be more variable thus unstable
Alluvium
a deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta, typically producing fertile soil.
Alluvial fan
a fan-shaped mass of alluvium deposited as the flow of a river decreases in velocity
Landform
a feature of earths topography that can be distinguished and studied as a single unit
Delta:
a landform that forms at the mouth of a river, where the river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, or reservoir. Deltas form from deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth
Peneplain:
a more or less level land surface produced by erosion over a long period, undisturbed by crustal movement.
Landslides occur when
a threshold is reached, the internal friction is overcome by the force of gravity, and when driving forces exceed resisting forces.
When waves begin to interact with the seafloor this happens
a) wavelengths decrease b) wave height increases
Point bar:
an alluvial deposit that forms by accretion on the inner side of an expanding loop of a river.
Floodplain
an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
Mountain (alpine) (valley) glacier
an extended mass of ice formed from snow falling and accumulating over the years and moving very slowly, either descending from high mountains, as in valley glaciers, or moving outward from centers of accumulation, as in continental glaciers.
Cycle of Erosion
an idealized course of landscape evolution, passing from youthful stages, which are marked by steep gradients, to old age, when the landscape is reduced to a peneplain.
A terrace is
an uplifted wave cut platform
Particles of sand, gravels, and shells that move along the shore form the
beach drift or longshore drift
Island arc
caused by an ocean-ocean convergent boundary
The zone where positive gains end and losses begin in the glacial mass balance is called
equilibrium line
Plate tectonics
explains continental drift, earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain formation
Rift valley
forms where the crust drops between faults located along each side of the valley
The most likely explanation for the origin of The Great Lakes is:
glacial mass eroded the bedrock forming a depressions. As glaciers retreated, deposits blocked the flow of melted water causing water to fill in the depressions
Dams on rivers supplying sediment to beaches will result
in erosion of the beach
Seafloor spreading
involves the creation of new lithospheric material and its continuous movement away from its source
Braided stream:
is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots.Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load.
Lithospheric plates
large fragments of the lithosphere
Continental shield
large stable relatively flat expanse of very old rocks that may constitute one of the earliest slabs of earths molten crust
Subduction
less dence plate goes over denser plate
When people go surfing or swimming along a coast, they often find—after spending time in the water—that they are no longer in the area in which they first entered the water. In other words, they find that they have moved downshore, even though they did not deliberately move in that direction. This occurs because of
longshore currents
Mid-latitude beaches that have seasonal patterns of erosion and deposition
mostly grow during summer due to sediment deposition associated with weaker waves
Lithosphere
outermost shell of the earth
Terrace:
remnants of the former floodplain of a stream of river. They are formed by the downcutting of a river or stream channel into and the abandonment and lateral erosion of its former floodplain.
What caused most coastlines to become submerged over the past 10,000 years?
sea level rise
Which of the following is not a result of coastal deposition?
sea stack
Deposition
sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or landmass
Weathering
the breakdown of rocks
Chemical Weathering:
the erosion or disintegration of rocks, building materials, etc., caused by chemical reactions.
Abrasion:
the mechanical scraping of a rock surface by friction between rocks and moving particles during their transport by wind, glacier, waves, gravity, running water or erosion. After friction, the moving particles dislodge loose and weak debris from the side of the rock.
Zone of ablation:
the part of the glacier where annual ice loss (e.g., from melting and sublimation) exceeds the annual snow increase.
Erosion
the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents
Drainage Density
the total length of all the streams and rivers in a drainage basin divided by the total area of the drainage basin. It is a measure of how well or how poorly a watershed is drained by stream channels.
Transform plate boundary
two plates sliding past each other
Emergent coasts are associated with
uplift related to tectonic activity
Relief
vertical distance between the highest and lowest elevations in a given area
Based on the brief descriptions of weathering and erosion processes in the text, explain why the hydrologic cycle plays a vital role in producing most landforms and landscapes.
water is involved in most erosional processes besides wind driven erosion
Which of the following is not an example of a depositional coastal landform? a) Delta b) barrier spit c) bay barrier d) wave-cut platform
wave-cut platform
These influence the shape or form of a delta
waves, tides, and river current
Biological Weathering
weathering caused by plants and animals. Plants and animals release acid forming chemicals that cause weathering and also contribute to the breaking down of rocks and landforms. Chemical weathering is weathering caused by breaking down of rocks and landforms.
Divergent plate boundary
where the plates spread apart
Meander
winding curve or bend of a river or road.