GEOG1113: Final

Basal ice

Bottom ice layer of a glacier.

Base level

Elevational level below which a stream cannot erode its bed.

A graded stream is one that:

Is neither aggrading or degrading its bed

Solifluction

Slow downslope movement of soil that is common in periglacial environments; a combination of creep and slow flow of soil saturation by water during the thaw season.

Antarctica has the highest altitude than all of the continents. a. True b. False

a. True

The _____ period is the gap between the most recent deglaciation and the next glacial period. a. interglacial b. Late Cenozoic Ice Age c. zone of ablation d. zone of accumulation

a. interglacial

The karst landform that represents multiple sinkholes that have merged together to form a linear valley is known as a/an

uvala

Alluvial fans form:

where streams emerge from the mountains or uplands into a basin or plain

Younger Dryas

A brief return to full glacial conditions about 13,000 years ago that occurred early in the warming period following the last glacial maximum; thought to have been caused by changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation.

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)

A brief spike in Earth's warmth that occurred about 55 million years ago.

Terrace

A former floodplain that now forms a relatively flat bench standing above the active floodplain and channel of a stream. May be referred to as a stream terrace to differentiate it from marine terraces. When they lie at the same elevation on both sides of a river, terraces are said to be paired.

Stream power

A general indicator of a stream's ability to do work. The total stream power of a river increases with discharge and slope of the water surface. Therefore, the larger the discharge and the steeper the slope, the more sediment the river can transport downstream.

Hot-house climate

A generally warm climate with little permanent ice like that in today's icecaps. Hot-house climates typically last hundreds of millions of years and have been the norm throughout Earth history.

Flood

A peak of stream discharge. In larger floods, water overflows from the stream channel and temporarily covers the floodplain.

Frictional strength

Ability of geologic materials to resist slope failure through friction; depends on each material's properties but also increases with the component of the weight of overlying material pushing into the slope.

Sediment laid down by a stream or river on its valley floor is called

Alluvium

Ice-house climate

Also known as glacial climates, relatively brief periods of colder temperatures on Earth, generally lasting only tens of millions of years having large areas of permanent (year-round) ice.

A river crossing a structural ridge, which would normally impede its flow, because the river predates the stricture and kept cutting downward was the structure was uplifted around it is known as

An antecedent stream

This is the maximum slope angle at which a material remains at rest and does not flow or slide downslope.

Angle of repose

Cave

Any substantial opening in bedrock, large enough for an adult person to enter, that leads to an interior open space.

Levee, artificial

Artificially constructed ridge or berm built to limit the area covered by floods, most often along the channel of large rivers.

When do infiltration rates of water moving into the soil tend to be fastest?

At the beginning of the rainstorm

Every continent has alpine glaciers, except:

Australia

Saltating sand is part of the

Bedload

Saturated zone

Belowground zone that is saturated, that is, all the pores are filled with water. The boundary between the saturated zone and the overlying vadose zone is the water table.

Vadose zone

Belowground zone that lies between the ground surface and the water table; normally unsaturated except after heavy rainfall or snowmelt (also called zone of aeration).

Interception

Blocking of rainwater through vegetation from reaching the ground. Raindrops land on leaves and other plant parts and evaporate before they can penetrate the soil below.

Stream piracy

Capture of a segment of a stream by another river.

Which of the following weather processes is internal to development of karst topography?

Carbonation variant of hydrolysis

Dissolution

Chemical weathering process in which soluble rocks such as limestone are dissolved.

Bajada

Coalesced assemblage of alluvial fans that lines a highland front (also known as alluvial apron); primarily a desert feature.

Column (cave)

Coalescence of a stalactite and a stalagmite that forms a continuous column from the floor to the roof of a cave.

Collapse sink

Collapsed sinkhole in which the rock ceiling of the sinkhole collapses into the underground solution cavity.

Cryosphere

Collective name for the ice system of the Earth, which constitutes one of the five subsystems of the total Earth system.

Denudation

Combined processes of weathering, massmovement, and erosion that over time act to lower the land surface.

Annular drainage

Concentric stream pattern that drains the interior of an excavated geologic dome (see Fig. 40.11B).

Peneplain

Concept of a "near plain" developed by William Morris Davis to describe the nearly flat landscape formed by extensive erosion over long periods of time.

Which of the following will be the slowest moving of all mass wasting processes?

Creep

Holocene

Current interglacial epoch, extending from 11,700 years ago to the present on the geologic timescale.

Cycle of erosion

Cycle in which landscapes evolve through uplift followed by long-term erosion, as proposed by William Morris Davis (see Fig. 40.17).

Fluvial

Denotes running water; derived from Latin word for river, fluvius

Karst

Distinctive landscape associated with the underground chemical erosion of particularly soluble bedrock, usually limestone or dolomite.

Tropical karst

Dominated by steep-sided, vegetation-covered hill terrain; solution features are larger than in slower-forming temperate karst landscapes.

Slope (river)

Drop in elevation divided by distance along the stream channel; the slope that drives downstream flow of water, erosion of the streambed, and transportation of sediment.

Glacial surge

Episode of unusually rapid movement by a glacier, as much as one meter per hour, which can last for a year or more

Sheet erosion

Erosion produced by sheet flow as it removes fine-grained surface materials.

Hydraulic action

Erosional process in streams and on wave-eroded coastlines, in which blocks are broken loose from bedrock and carried away by flowing water or longshore drift. Fractures in the bedrock make this process much more effective; where waves strike a shoreline, air is trapped and compressed in fractures, helping to break boulders loose.

Abrasion (stream)

Erosive action of boulders, pebbles, and smaller grains of sediment as they are carried along a river valley. These fragments dislodge other particles along the streambed and banks, thereby enhancing the deepening and widening process.

Mass wasting refers to the rapidity with which hillslope material is eroded from rain splash activity.

False

Alluvial fan

Fan-shaped deposit consisting of alluvial material, and sometimes debris flow deposits, located where a mountain stream emerges onto a plain; primarily a desert landform.

Floodplain

Flat, low-lying ground adjacent to a stream channel built and reshaped by successive floods as sediment is deposited as alluvium in some areas and eroded in others.

Deltaic plain

Flat, stable landward portion of a delta that is growing seaward.

Infiltration

Flow of water into the Earth's surface through the pores and larger openings in the soil.

Groundwater discharge

Flow of water out of an aquifer, often into streams; occurs where the water table intersects the ground surface. Locations of particularly noticeable groundwater discharge are referred to as springs.

Geologic structure

Folds, faults, and other rock structures originally formed by tectonic processes.

Earth flow

Form of mass movement in which soil or weathered bedrock moves downhill at a relatively slow rate; motion can continue for years (see Fig. 37.9).

Landslide

Form of mass movement involving the downslope movement of one or more discrete blocks of sediment or rock; may become a flow as it moves downslope.

Debris flow

Form of mass movement that involves a fluid, fast-moving slurry of sediment and water.

Fall (mass movement)

Form of mass movement that involves the free fall or downslope rolling of rock pieces loosened by weathering. These boulders form a talus cone or scree slope at the base of the cliff from which they broke away.

Abrasion (glacial)

Glacial erosion process of scraping, produced by the impact of rock debris carried in the ice upon the bedrock surface below.

Firn

Granular, compacted snow, a stage in the formation of glacier ice.

Hydrograph

Graph of a river's discharge over time

Hydrothermal

Groundwater heated by magma that is relatively close to the surface

Continental glaciers

Huge masses of ice that bury whole large portions of a continent beneath them; also known as ice sheets.

Stalactite

Icicle-like rock formation hanging from the roof of a cave.

Aquiclude

Impermeable rock layer that resists the flow of groundwater; consists of tightly packed or interlocking particles, such as those in shale.

Solution sinkhole

In karst terrain, a funnel-shaped surface hollow (with the shaft draining the center) created by solution; ranges in size from a bathtub to a stadium.

Uvala

In karst terrain, a large surface depression created by the coalescence of two or more neighboring sinkholes.

Collapse sinkhole

In karst terrain, a surface hollow created by the collapse or failure of the roof or overlying material of a cave, cavern, or underground channel.

Cockpit karst

In tropical karst areas, the sharply contrasted landscape of prominent karst towers and the irregular, steep-sided depressions lying between them. Cockpit refers to the depressions.

Tower (karst)

In tropical karst landscapes, a cone-shaped, steep-sided hill that rises above a surface that may or may not be pocked with solution depressions.

Ephemeral stream

Intermittently flowing stream in an arid environment. Precipitation (and subsequent stream flow) is periodic, and when the rains end, the stream soon runs dry again.

Oxbow lake

Lake formed when two adjacent meanders link up and one of the bends in the channel, shaped like a bow, is cut off (see Fig. 41.4).

Delta

Landform produced by sediment deposition around and beyond the mouth of a river where it empties into the sea or a lake; frequently assumes a triangular configuration—hence its naming after the Greek letter of that shape.

The largest continental ice sheet that existed 20,000 years ago and covered most of Canada and much of the United States is named the

Laurentide Ice Sheet

Local base level

Lowest elevation to which a stream may erode, considered at the local scale; local base-level is often a larger river or lake that the stream flows into.

Ultimate base level

Lowest elevation to which an entire stream network can erode; for stream systems reaching the ocean this is essentially sea level

Temperate karst

Marked by disappearing streams, jagged rock masses, solution depressions, and extensive cave networks; forms more slowly than tropical karst.

Avalanche

Mass movement of snow and ice.

Impermeable

Material that does not permit water to pass through it.

Permeable

Material that permits water to pass through it. Most natural soils are able to absorb, in this manner, at least a portion of the water that falls on them, but rock or pavement may be almost completely impermeable.

Field capacity

Maximum amount of water that a soil can hold by capillary tension against the downward pull of gravity.

Angle of repose

Maximum slope angle at which a material remains at rest and does not flow or slide downslope. Each material has its own angle of repose, which is closely related to the friction within that material that resists motion; greater resistance to motion leads to a greater angle of repose.

Deglaciation

Melting andreceding of glaciers thataccompanies the climatic warm-up after the peak of a glacial period has been reached.

Carbon dioxide-weathering feedback

Negative feedback process in which warming conditions lead to lower CO2 in the atmosphere, thereby causing cooling.

Meander belts

On a wide floodplain, river-meander development zones that themselves form giant meanders (see Fig. 41.7).

Crevasse

One of the huge vertical cracks that frequently cut the rigid, brittle upper layer of a glacier.

Glacial creep

One of the two mechanisms by which glaciers flow; involves the internal deformation of the ice, as a result of slippage on crystal planes and between ice crystals.

Glacial sliding

One of the two mechanisms by which glaciers flow; involves the sliding movement of the entire glacier over the rock or sediment below it; requires a thin film of water at the base of the glacier, so it does not occur in cold polar glaciers where the basal ice is below its melting point.

Braided stream

One that has multiple intertwined channels, separating and then reuniting some distance downstream and giving a "braided" appearance. Braided stream channels tend to have relatively low sinuosity, that is, they do not wind back and forth a great deal as they flow down the stream valley.

Bedload

Particles that remain fairly close to the streambed as they are transported. Bedload usually consists of sand, gravel, or boulders, and is moved downstream because of force applied to it by the flowing water.

Water gap

Pass in a ridge or mountain range through which a stream flows.

Little Ice Age

Period of decidedly cooler global temperatures that prevailed from about 1400 to 1850. During these four centuries, mountain glaciers in most parts of the world expanded considerably.

Conduits

Pipe-like openings created when water dissolves rock surrounding pores and fractures, thereby enlarging them.

Slope failure

Point at which slope materials begin to slide or flow away downslope.

Aquifer

Porous and permeable rock layer that can be at least partially saturated with groundwater.

Ice-albedo feedback

Positive feedback process in which a change in snow cover and sea ice alters the albedo, which in turn affects snow and sea ice by modulating temperature.

Aggradation

Process in which a stream deposits more sediment than it erodes, raising the elevation of the stream's channel and floodplain and eventually filling the stream's valley.

Incision

Process in which a stream erodes downward into underlying bedrock or sediment, lowering the elevation of the channel and floodplain; an essential process in stream terrace formation.

Saltation

Process in which sediment is moved by stream flow or wind that entails particles hopping along the streambed or across the ground surface; sand and gravel can saltate in a stream, while the wind generally moves only sand-sized particles in saltation.

Slope decline

Process in which slopes are worn down, becoming more convex in appearance, and then are flattened.

Slope retreat

Process in which slopes erode and shift horizontally without becoming much gentler over time, moving backward rather than downward.

Splash erosion

Process involving the dislodging of soil particles by large heavy raindrops (see Fig. 39.1)

Suspension

Process of sediment transportation by water or wind, in which the particles are too small to settle rapidly; therefore they are carried along with the flowing water or air for long distances without dropping to the streambed or ground surface. Clay, silt, and very fine sand grains are carried in suspension by both wind and flowing water, and even somewhat larger sand grains can be suspended in turbulent streams. Suspended sediment carried by the wind is often referred to as dust, and becomes loess when it is deposited.

Corrosion

Process of stream erosion whereby certain rocks and minerals are dissolved by water; can also affect coastal bedrock that is susceptible to such chemical action.

Monadnock

Prominent remnant of an upland on a peneplain that has not yet eroded.

Hogback

Prominent steep-sided ridge eroded from steeply dipping rock beds.

Caribbean karst

Rarest karst topography, associated with nearly flat-lying limestones; underground erosion dominated by the collapse of roofs of subsurface conduits produces the characteristic sinkhole terrain seen in Fig. 42.6.

Infiltration capacity

Rate at which a soil is able to absorb water percolating downward from the surface.

Velocity (stream)

Rate of speed at which water moves in a river channel. This rate varies with distance above the streambed and away from the banks, as Figure 38.4 shows

Milankovitch cycles

Refers to cyclical changes in the shape of Earth's orbit, the degree of tilt of Earth's axis and the direction of tilt over periods of 100,000 years, 40,000 years, and 20,000 years. The cycles lead to variations in the seasonal and spatial distribution of sunlight reaching the planet and thereby have the potential to influence climate.

Glacial/interglacial cycles

Refers to the glacial and interglacial periods throughout time, caused by variation in Earth's orbit. Periods with large ice sheets are known as glacial periods, and periods with reduced ice cover (such as the present) are known as interglacial periods.

Competence

Refers to the largest particle size that a stream can set in motion.

Drainage basin

Region occupied by a complete stream system formed by the trunk river and all its tributaries; also known as a watershed.

Runoff

Removal of water that falls as precipitation, via the network of streams and rivers. Can refer to all of the water that is not evaporated or transpired, or just to the water that does not infiltrate into the soil but instead flows away over the land surface; in the latter case the term overland flow is also used.

Groundwater recharge

Replaces water lost from an aquifer throughdischarge. Mostof thatwaterhas infiltrated andpercolated downward from the land surface above the aquifer.

Artificial levees

Ridges or berms constructed along most large rivers in settled areas to confine floods to the channel and protect farmland or towns from flooding.

Antecedent stream

River crossing a structural feature that would normally impede its flow because the river predates the structure and kept cutting downward as the structure was uplifted around it.

Superimposed stream

River that crosses a structural feature that would normally impede its flow because the feature was at some point buried beneath the surface on which the river developed. As the feature became exposed, the river kept cutting through it.

Levee, natural

River-lining ridge of alluvium deposited when a stream overflows its banks during a periodic flood; usually contains somewhat coarser sediment that is part of the floodplain more distant from the channel.

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a debris flow

Rock fall

Dissolved load

Rock material that is dissolved in stream water and is carried downriver.

Lithology

Rock type of a local area, which greatly influences its landform and landscape development.

Alluvium

Sediment laid down by a stream on its valley floor

Alluvium

Sediment laid down by a stream on its valley floor.

Perched water table

Separate local water table that forms at a higher elevation than the nearby main water table; caused by the effects of a local aquiclude

Distributaries

Several channels into which a river subdivides when it reaches its delta.

Creep

Slowest form of mass movement; involves the slow, imperceptible motion of a soil layer downslope, as revealed in the slight downhill tilt of trees and other stationary objects.

Meander

Smooth, rounded curve or bend of rivers that can become quite pronounced as their development proceeds; also characteristic of many ocean currents, which, after the passage of storms, can produce such extreme loops that many detach and form localized eddies.

Mass movement

Spontaneous downslope movement of Earth materials under the force of gravity. Materials involved move en masse—in bulk.

Dynamic equilibrium

State of a system in balance despite the continual flow of energy and/or mass through the system. A landscape that is in dynamic equilibrium has a stable form over time, although it continues to erode.

Which of the following separates a landslide from a slump?

Straight vs. curved shear plane

Graded stream

Stream in which slope and channel characteristics are adjusted over time to provide just the velocity required for the transportation of the load supplied from the drainage basin, given the available discharge.

Rectangular drainage

Stream pattern dominated by right- angle contacts between rivers and tributaries; these contacts are not as pronounced as in trellis drainage

Radial drainage

Stream pattern that emanates outward in many directions from a central mountain

Trellis drainage

Stream pattern that resembles a garden trellis; channels have only two orientations, more or less at right angles to each other; often develops on parallel-folded sedimentary rocks (see Fig. 40.11C).

Ice age

Stretch of geologic time with large areas of permanent, year-round ice. Within an ice age ice cover expands and contracts in glacial/interglacial cycles. Earth is currently in an ice-age climate. The last glacial maximum was about 20,000 years ago; the present climate is an interglacial within the most recent ice age.

Spring (water)

Surface stream of flowing water that emerges from the ground; a location of groundwater discharge.

Cohesion

Tendency of slope materials to stick together and resist failure, which is not due to friction and does not depend on the weight of overlying materials.

Snowball Earth

Term used for the most extreme ice-house climates, called such because nearly the entire planet is covered with ice during these times.

Point bar

The area of most recent deposition on the inside of a bend.

Recurrence interval

The average time between floods that reach or exceed a given magnitude.

Fluvial processes

The geomorphic processes associated with flowing water.

Transport capacity

The maximum load of sediment that a stream can carry at a given discharge. Can be estimated for all types of sediment, or separately for suspended load and bedload.

Water table

Top of the (phreatic) zone of saturation; generally has topography that is a subdued version of the land surface above, higher beneath hills and lower in valleys.

Drainage density

Total length of the stream channels that exist in a unit area of a drainage basin.

Sediment yield

Total mass of sediment leaving a drainage basin in a given period of time; often divided by basin area to allow comparison between basins of differing size.

Which landform is likely to be fairly common in Tropical Karst regions, as opposed to Caribbean or Temperate Karst regions?

Towers

Traction

Transportation process that involves the sliding or rolling of particles along a riverbed.

Dendritic drainage

Tree limb—like stream pattern that is the most commonly observed of all such patterns (see Fig. 40.11E); indicates surface of relatively uniform hardness or one of flat-lying sedimentary rocks.

A glacier is a body of ice formed on land that is in motion.

True

Karst features develop faster in tropical climates rather than arid climates

True

Waves, tides and currents influence the shape or form of a delta

True

Slump

Type of landslide in which the failure surface is curved and the material in motion forms backward-rotating slump blocks

Rockslide

Type of mass movement consisting mainly of bedrock that breaks loose from a mountain side and slides or flows downslope.

One of the most diagnostic indicators of past glaciation of a valley in mountain ranges is a:

U-shaped valley cross-section

Stalagmite

Upward-tapering, pillar-like rock formation standing on the floor of a cave.

Cave shaft

Vertical cave entrance

Discharge (stream)

Volume of water passing a given location along a river channel within a given amount of time; measured as average water velocity multiplied by the cross-sectional area of the channel.

Groundwater

Water contained within the lithosphere. This water, hidden below the ground, accounts for about 25 percent of the world's freshwater.

Calculate the depth at which a wave of oscillation will feel the bottom if its wavelength is 50 meters. a. 25 meters b. 2.5 meters c. 12.5 meters d. 125 meters

a. 25 meters

_____ occurs when rock debris carried by a glacier scrapes the bedrock. a. Abrasion b. Plucking c. Glacial creep d. Glacial sliding

a. Abrasion

Barchans form in areas with strong unidirectional winds and a limited sand supply. a. True b. False

a. True

Drumlins are sometimes called whalebacks because they look like the backs of whales. a. True b. False

a. True

Erosion by rivers and road construction are examples of factors which may cause an increase in slope angle thereby promoting mass movements. a. True b. False

a. True

No periglacial environments exist in southern Africa and Australia. a. True b. False

a. True

The role of climate in influencing the development of landscapes is debatable. Generally, humid environments have more rounded landforms and desert environments have angular ones. a. True b. False

a. True

Karst features develop faster in tropical climates rather than arid climates a. True b. False

a. True.

Perched water tables occur above the main water table. a. True b. False

a. True.

Percolation in the vadose zone increases as soil becomes wetter. a. True b. False

a. True.

Rocks formed of gypsum can also develop karst features. a. True b. False

a. True.

Runoff, water moving over the land surface, occurs when the amount of water falling exceeds infiltration rates. a. True b. False

a. True.

Waves, tides and currents influence the shape or form of a delta. a. True b. False

a. True.

The soil above the permanently frozen table that undergoes annual freezing and thawing is the: a. active layer b. permafrost c. ice sheet d. alpine glacier

a. active layer

Perched water tables are separated from the main aquifer by: a. aquicludes b. porous conglomerates c. other aquifers d. porous sandstones

a. aquicludes.

When juxtaposed alluvial fans join along a mountain front obscuring their the cone shapes, a(n) _____ forms. a. bajada or alluvial apron b. alluvial skirt c. alluvial flow d. convex hill sleeve

a. bajada or alluvial apron

Saltating sand is part of the: a. bedload b. suspended load c. dissolved load d. muddy load

a. bedload

Which is typically the least important form of stream erosion? a. corrosion b. abrasion c. hydraulic action d. dissolution

a. corrosion

Which drainage pattern is common in the Midwest, such as with the Missouri and Ohio Rivers? a. dendritic b. trellis c. annular d. radial

a. dendritic.

The study of tree rings in climate research is called: a. dendrochronology b. botanical climatology c. ringology d. arborology

a. dendrochronology

The combination of stratified drift and glacial till form this deposit: a. glacial drift b. esker c. drumlin d. moraine

a. glacial drift

Because its U-shaped valley sits higher than the main valley, a waterfall typically forms at this location: a. hanging valley b. truncated spur c. glacial trough d. fjord

a. hanging valley

The Badlands exhibit: a. high drainage density b. radial drainage c. annular drainage d. trellis drainage

a. high drainage density

A geometric feature consisting of multiple sides formed by repeated annual freezing and thawing of sediments in a periglacial zone is called _____. a. ice-wedge polygons b. patterned ground c. pingos d. boulder fields

a. ice-wedge polygons

Today, we are living in a(n) ___________ period of climate. a. interglacial b. glacial c. Paleocene Maximum d. Satanic

a. interglacial

____ are glacial deposits that have been picked up and carried by a glacier and then later deposited along its sides. a. lateral moraines b. medial moraines c. ground moraines d. terminal moraines

a. lateral moraines

The following statement provides the correct order of events that take place when snow transforms into glacial ice: a. melting of outer points of snowflake; filling in of pore spaces; refreezing of meltwater b. filling in of pore spaces; melting of outer points of snowflake; refreezing of meltwater c. refreezing of meltwater; melting of outer points of snowflake; filling in of pore spaces d. melting of outer points of snowflake; refreezing of meltwater; filling in of pore spaces

a. melting of outer points of snowflake; filling in of pore spaces; refreezing of meltwater

The ratio of oxygen-18 to _____ isotopes has been used to show temperature changes taking place in the ocean and atmosphere in the past millions of years. a. oxygen-16 b. oxygen-17 c. oxygen-19 d. oxygen-20 e. carbon-18

a. oxygen-16.

A _____ high-latitude or high-altitude environment that is on the perimeter of a glaciated area. a. periglacial b. permafrost c. solifluction d. active layers

a. periglacial.

"Abrasion" is to "striations", as "plucking" is to ______. a. rouche moutonnee b. erosion c. zone of ablation d. glacial sliding

a. rouche moutonnee

In a sandstorm, ___ is the dominant mode of particle movement. a. saltation b. suspension c. siltation d. laminar flow

a. saltation

Slope failure will occur when material exceed ________. a. the angle of repose b. the density of water c. the strength of individual minerals in the materials d. the strength of anchoring vegetation

a. the angle of repose

Which is NOT a major factor in the development of tides on our planet? a. the tilt of the earth b. the rotation of earth c. the gravitational pull of the moon d. the gravitational pull of the sun

a. the tilt of the earth

A landform that connects an island and the mainland is called a(n): a. tombolo b. sea stack c. headland d. barrier island

a. tombolo

Karst towers are more likely to form in these karst areas: a. tropical b. Caribbean c. temperate d. all of the above

a. tropical

Dunes covered by vegetation probably indicates that the dune is: a. unstable b. active c. stable and non-active d. in transition from being unstable to stable

a. unstable

When does a wave oscillation become a wave of translation? a. when a wave interacts with the bottom of the ocean b. when waves die out and become smooth c. when a wave grows to twice its height d. when a wave enters a country with a different language

a. when a wave interacts with the bottom of the ocean.

The following conditions are favorable for the formation of additional glacial ice: a. when summer snow loss is less than winter snow gain b. when summer snow loss is greater than winter snow gain c. when summer snow gain is less than winter snow loss d. glacial ice forms in any season so long as conditions are cold enough

a. when summer snow loss is less than winter snow gain.

Deposition on an alluvial fan occurs: a. when the flow is no longer confined to the river walls b. when more water flows in the stream c. when there is lack of precipitation d. when both channel and water deepen

a. when the flow is no longer confined to the river walls.

Alluvial fans form ________. a. where streams emerge from the mountains b. where streams flow into the ocean c. at bends in stream channels d. where streams merge with other streams

a. where streams emerge from the mountains.

The soil above the permanently frozen table that undergoes annual freezing and thawing is the:

active layer

The Little Ice Age was a brief cold period in which Europe suffered from famine around the years ___. a. 1200 to 1350 b. 1400 to 1850 c. 1600 to 1920 d. 1940 to 1970

b. 1400 to 1850.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was one of the largest warming events known) The spike in temperatures took place approximately ___ years ago. a. 500 million b. 55 million c. 5 million d. 50,000 e. 500

b. 55 million.

Who is responsible for the first comprehensive examination of karst processes and landscapes? a. Milankovitch b. Cvijic c. Wegener d. DaVinci

b. Cvijic.

The Milankovitch Cycle explains long-term natural climate variations based on: a. volcanic eruption records b. Earth's orbital cycles c. solar intensity changes d. ocean circulation

b. Earth's orbital cycles.

A flood with a recurrence interval of 100 years means that the flood occurs every 100 years. a. True b. False

b. False

An area consisting of mudstones and shales will likely exhibit steeper slopes than those composed of hard metamorphic and igneous rocks: a. True b. False

b. False

Coral Reefs and atolls are landforms produced by coastal deposition. a. True b. False

b. False

Ephemeral streams flow year round. a. True b. False

b. False

Fluvial landforms are all formed by stream erosion. a. True b. False

b. False

Glaciers are stationary bodies of ice that have been formed on land. a. True b. False

b. False

Mountain glaciers become progressively larger at low latitudes. a. True b. False

b. False

Sea stacks indicate that deposition is occurring along the coast. a. True b. False

b. False

Stream discharge do not influence the shape or form of the delta. a. True b. False

b. False

The period of a wave is defined as the number of waves occurring during a given period of time. a. True b. False

b. False

The potential energy of water is greater in low lying areas than high relief areas. a. True b. False

b. False

Usually, after flood control measures have been undertaken, it is safe to farm and build on a flood plain. a. True b. False

b. False

Water in a river with a large suspended load is more competent than a river moving large boulders. a. True b. False

b. False

According to John Hack, landscapes are in dynamic equilibrium when the slopes of hills and valleys change over time. a. True b. False

b. False.

Deltas commonly form where a stream empties into larger streams. a. True b. False

b. False.

Stream capture usually results when two adjacent streams flood producing a single new stream a. True b. False

b. False.

What two factors determine stream discharge? a. Velocity and length of stream b. Velocity and cross-sectional area of stream c. Gradient and depth of stream d. depth of stream and slope

b. Velocity and cross-sectional area of stream.

Which would you expect to have a higher sediment yield? a. a draingage basin with shallow gradients b. a drainage basin with steeper gradients c. tributary stream covered with vegetation d. flat, dry watershed system

b. a drainage basin with steeper gradients.

The Black Hills of South Dakota exhibit _____ drainage. a. radial b. annular c. trellis d. dendritic

b. annular.

Karst topography involves which of the following types of weathering: a. biological b. chemical c. mechanical d. none of these

b. chemical.

Which material has the greatest cohesion? a. dry sand b. clays c. pebbles d. boulders

b. clays

The points or horns of a barchan dune point: a. upwind b. downwind c. the direction from which the sand of the dune originates d. toward wet areas which prevent the sand from accumulating

b. downwind

Modest-sized, smooth, elliptical mounds resulting from ice sheets overriding glacial till and reshaping them are called ____. a. esker b. drumlin c. kettle d. kame

b. drumlin

Loess deposits are from: a. dust blown from deserts b. dust blown from glacial deposits c. dust blown from barren periglacial environments d. dust blown from an exposed sea floor during glacial periods e. a, b, and c

b. dust blown from glacial deposits

Generally, karst will form less rapidly in areas with: a. steep relief b. flat surfaces c. high vegetation d. housing development

b. flat surfaces.

One way to distinguish glacial till from glacial outwash is by looking at the sorting and layering of the deposits. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT: a. glacial till is poorly sorted; glacial outwash is well sorted b. glacial till is layered but are poorly sorted; glacial outwash is not layered but well sorted c. glacial till is not layered; glacial outwash is typically layered d. glacial outwash is layered; glacial till is poorly sorted

b. glacial till is layered but are poorly sorted; glacial outwash is not layered but well sorted.

Sides of mountains are constantly being eroded away creating ____, sharp-pointed peaks at the top of mountains. a. cirques b. horns c. aretes d. rock steps

b. horns

The tidal range is usually greater a. along straight beaches b. in narrow estuaries and bays c. along wide beaches d. on shallow beaches

b. in narrow estuaries and bays

Antarctica is: a. a large floating flat glacier b. large ice over a landmass with great mountain ranges c. the only ice that is still growing because it is located at the South Pole d. all of the above

b. large ice over a landmass with great mountain ranges

A _____ forms when two glaciers have merged and its lateral moraines combine a. lateral moraine b. medial moraine c. ground moraine d. terminal moraine

b. medial moraine

The carbon dioxide-weathering feedback is an example of ____ feedback. a. positive b. negative c. multiple d. jumbled

b. negative.

Where on a meandering river is erosion the greatest? a. on the inside b. on the outside c. on the upstream side d. on the downstream side

b. on the outside

The _____ is the subsoil layer that is permanently frozen. a. active layer b. permafrost c. ice sheet d. alpine glacier

b. permafrost

A _____ is an elliptical hill made up of an ice core found in a periglacial zone. a. ice-wedge polygon b. pingo c. palsa d. solifluction

b. pingo

Evidence of climatic variation prior to instrumented data is called: a. historical data b. proxy data c. primeval data d. mostly guesswork data

b. proxy data.

Which drainage pattern is typical of the Cascade Mountains? a. dendritic b. radial c. annular d. trellis

b. radial

The base of the Antarctic Ice Sheet currently sits 600 m (2000 ft) below sea level. As the climate warms, much of the ice will melt causing the ice sheet to isostatically rebound upward 600 m, which would result in: a. lowering global sea level b. raising global sea level c. causing global sea level to stay the same d. an initial rising followed by a subsequent lowering of global sea level

b. raising global sea level

Submergent coasts are related to: a. uplift tied to tectonic activity b. rising sea level c. sea level lowering d. submarines parked along the shoreline

b. rising sea level

This type of mass movement involves large blocks of bedrock breaking off and moving downslope on a well-defined, planar surface. a. creep b. rockslide c. flow d. fall e. slump

b. rockslide

When sediments carried by longshore drift extends into open water, this can form: a. atoll bar b. sandspit c. barrier island d. coral reef

b. sandspit.

Sand grains are deposited on the ________ producing crossbeds as the sand dune migrates. a. windward slope b. slipface c. crest d. lower-angle side of a sand dune

b. slipface

The alignment of the earth, sun, and moon will generate: a. neap tides b. spring tides c. both of these d. neither of these

b. spring tides.

Which karst feature forms on the floors of caves? a. stalactites b. stalagmites c. cave stacks d. all of the above

b. stalagmites.

Drowned river mouths characterize: a. emergent coasts b. submerged coasts c. high tide d. low tide

b. submerged coasts

Which typically carries the greatest amount of river sediment load? a. bed load b. suspended load c. dissolved load d. none of the above

b. suspended load

Wave energies are concentrated on: a. the bays b. the headlands c. river mouths d. all of these

b. the headlands

Waves hitting the beaches are normally weaker during: a. the winter b. the summer c. high tide d. tsunami events

b. the summer

Flows are distinguished from other mass movements by: a. their components, such as rocks, sediment, soil b. their fluidity c. how rapidly they move d. the weight of materials moved

b. their fluidity

Which type of karst forms most quickly? a. temperate b. tropical c. tundra d. Caribbean

b. tropical.

Beaches: a. will grow during the winter b. will grow during the summer c. will shrink during the summer d. all of these

b. will grow during the summer

Radioactive carbon-___ isotope has been used in dating organic objects that can be used in climate change studies. a. 12 b. 13 c. 14 d. 16 e. 20

c. 14.

The two glaciers that exist near the equator in Africa are: a. Mount Kibu and Mount Kilmanjaro b. Mount Kenya and Mount Mawenzi c. Mount Kilmanjaro and Mount Kenya d. No glaciers exist near the equator

c. Mount Kilmanjaro and Mount Kenya

The Younger Dryas was an abrupt cooling period around 13000 years ago that was believed to be caused by: a. an increase in chemical weathering of rocks b. a sudden change in continental drift c. a change in the thermohaline circulation of the Atlantic d. a meteorite e. volcanic eruption

c. a change in the thermohaline circulation of the Atlantic.

Groundwater is stored in: a. aquicludes b. the vadose zone c. aquifers d. acquitards

c. aquifers.

As glaciers move downslope, they erode the bedrock leaving a knife-like, jagged ridge separating two glacial valleys. These ridges are called: a. cirques b. horns c. aretes d. rock steps

c. aretes

The _____ zone is mostly exposed along the beach, extending from the high tide line to dunes. a. nearshore b. foreshore c. backshore d. longshore

c. backshore.

Why are there gaps in the scientific literature of periglacial areas? a. Inuit eskimos forbid studies on their land b. weather conditions prohibit life to exist c. because of its remote location d. This statement is untrue. There is abundant literature of periglacial areas.

c. because of its remote location.

The Mississippi Delta is an example of a(n) _____ delta. a. classic b. circular c. birdfoot d. Big Muddy

c. birdfoot

Which of the following materials have the shallowest angle of repose? a. sands b. boulders c. clays d. strong bedrock

c. clays

Besides friction, this feature with regards to material also resists movement. a. magnetism b. fluid content c. cohesion d. all of these

c. cohesion

Which of the following is the slowest form of mass movement? a. slide b. flow c. creep d. stroll

c. creep

Generally, the highest part of the dune is the: a. windward slope b. slipface c. crest d. trough

c. crest

For what is William Morris Davis known? a. dynamic equilibrium b. cycle of peneplanation c. cycle of erosion d. the Father of Geomorphology

c. cycle of erosion.

When rivers deposit sediments along the coast, these can form: a. rills b. cliffs c. deltas d. alluvial fans

c. deltas

Cirque is to erosion as drumlins are to ______. a. erosion b. melting c. deposition d. accumulation

c. deposition

The horizontal movement of rocks and rock fragments within the active layer of the permafrost caused by the expansion of ice is known as: a. frost wedging b. frost heaving c. frost thrusting d. frost creep

c. frost thrusting

The following terms describe the movement of rocks and rock fragments EXCEPT: a. frost heaving b. frost thrusting c. frost wedging d. solifluction

c. frost wedging

A valley that has a distinct U-shape and form by erosion from a glacier is called a: a. hanging valley b. truncated spur c. glacial trough d. fjord

c. glacial trough

Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth was experiencing: a. Iceball Earth b. hot house Earth c. glaciation d. interglacial

c. glaciation.

Of what are sea arches and stacks remnants? a. pits b. eskers c. headlands d. bays

c. headlands

In the last 15 million years, the Earth's climate could be described as: a. hot house climate b. normal c. ice house climate d. outhouse climate

c. ice house climate.

A ___ is a steep-sided depression formed in glacial till formed by the melting of a buried block of ice. a. esker b. drumlin c. kettle d. kame

c. kettle

Flood deposits made up of the coarsest material form a(n) ___ along the flooded river. a. oxbow ridge b. bluff c. levee d. sand bar

c. levee

Sandspits and baymouth bars develop due to: a. strong winds blowing sand up the beach b. winds blowing dune sand along the beaches c. longshore drift d. rip currents moving at an angle to beach

c. longshore drift

Solifluction, a type of slow mass movement, occurs: a. mostly in the tropics b. mostly in high altitudes c. mostly in high latitudes d. all of these

c. mostly in high latitudes

Which of the following is NOT a type of mass movement? a. flow b. slide c. ooze d. creep e. fall

c. ooze

Rip currents move water: a. up the beach b. along the beach c. out to sea d. up river mouths

c. out to sea

What kind of lake forms when a meander is cut off? a. meander lake b. kettle lake c. oxbow lake d. cut-off lake

c. oxbow lake

Crescent-shaped sand dunes that form along coastlines with some vegetation are called __ dunes. a. barchan b. traverse c. parabolic d. longitudinal

c. parabolic

Transverse dunes are aligned: a. in the direction of prevailing winds b. with one end pointing upwind c. perpendicular to wind direction d. none of these

c. perpendicular to wind direction.

When blocks of rock or fragments become attached to a glacier, picked up, and eroded away, it is termed _____. a. ablation b. deglaciation c. plucking d. glacial sliding

c. plucking

The bending of waves so that they become nearly parallel to the coastline is termed: a. reflection b. diffraction c. refraction d. diffusion

c. refraction

These particles are more easily moved by wind: a. clays b. sand with greater than 1mm in diameter c. sand with a diameter of about 0.1 mm d. small pebbles

c. sand with a diameter of about 0.1 mm.

The type of mass movement snow avalanches are considered is: a. creep b. flow c. slide d. fall e. debris flow

c. slide

A type of soil creep in which saturated soil and rock debris are saturated with water and flow in bulk as a single mass. a. periglacial b. permafrost c. solifluction d. active layers

c. solifluction

Viking exploration and colonization of Greenland and Vineland (North America) took place during a warm period called ____. a. PETM b. the Little Warm Age c. the Medieval Optimum d. the Good Old Days

c. the Medieval Optimum.

Water interception by vegetation depends in part on: a. the type of rocks b. the amount of organisms in the soil c. the structure of the plants d. the temperature

c. the structure of the plants.

Karst towers form because: a. they are protected by an overlying soil b. they are flat lying, buried limestone beds c. they are exposed high areas d. they are sinkholes filled with collapsed limestone material

c. they are exposed high areas.

Which drainage pattern is typical in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province? a. dendritic b. annular c. trellis d. radial e. irregular

c. trellis.

An important difference between desert and coastal dunes is that coastal dunes are often covered with _____ and are relatively ____. a. people, warm b. worms, cool c. vegetation, stable d. sand, unstable

c. vegetation, stable

The sediment type that results from mass wasting deposits is known as

colluvium

The very slow internal deformation and related movement of glacial ice, like on the order of 0.1 to 1.0 cm/day, is known as

creep

What is the discharge of a river with an average depth of 2 meters, width of 3 meters and a flow velocity of 5 meters/second? a. 1.2 m/sec b. 7.5 m2/sec c. 3.0 m2/sec d. 30 m3/sec

d. 30 m3/sec.

Every continent has alpine glaciers except: a. North America b. South America c. Africa d. Australia

d. Australia

This gas is important for carbonation, which leads to the dissolution of the rock, to form: a. O b. N c. H d. CO2

d. CO2

Identify the erosional landform developed by streams. a. Mississippi delta b. Great Barrier Reef c. Colorado Plateau d. Grand Canyon

d. Grand Canyon

The general term to describe the wastage of a glacier is called: a. melting b. evaporating c. calving d. ablation

d. ablation

If the sediment supply to a river increases so much that it overwhelms the ability of the stream to carry the sediment, then _____ will occur. a. transport b. erosion c. flooding d. aggradation

d. aggradation

Where is a stream's load deposited? a. in the delta b. in the stream itself c. on the floodplain d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above.

Which of the following has been influenced by human activities? a. atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide b. changes to the surface albedo c. atmospheric greenhouse gases concentration d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above.

Which of the following prevent karst features from forming in limestone? a. a limestone with greater than 30% insoluble minerals b. a limestone with very little porosity c. repeated shale or sandstones layers in a thicker limestone d. all of the above

d. all of the above.

Why was the Antarctic Ice Sheet the first continental glacier to develop? a. high latitude location b. low latitude location c. high overall elevation d. both (a) and (c)

d. both (a) and (c)

The force of gravity acting on geologic materials consists of which of the following components? a. cohesion b. shear stress c. the force pushing the block into the slope d. both (b) and (c)

d. both (b) and (c).

Factors influencing the velocity of a stream include: a. gradient b. depth of water in channel c. volume of water d. both a and b

d. both a and b.

Extrusive igneous structures include: a. volcanoes b. domes of sedimentary c. mesas and buttes d. both a and c

d. both a and c

When ice sheets break off to form icebergs, the process is called: a. plucking b. abrasion c. gravity pull d. calving

d. calving

Beaches: a. end where the seas meet the land b. continue beneath the sea to depths where waves do not interact with the seafloor c. always end against dunes on the landward side d. continue beneath the surf

d. continue beneath the surf

The upper surface of a glacier forms ____ when the brittle surface creates open fissures. a. basal ice b. rouche moutonnee c. alpine glaciers d. crevasses

d. crevasses.

Yardangs are formed when wind: a. removes all fine particles and exposes the flat bedrock b. deposits sand in the form of a ridge c. leaves a pavement of flat pebbles on the ground surface d. cuts troughs into soft bedrock leaving a ridge of that rock

d. cuts troughs into soft bedrock leaving a ridge of that rock

Which process is common in alluvial fan deposits? a. lava flow b. sand dune formation c. stream terrace uplift d. debris flows

d. debris flows

The following terms are related to the growth of ice sheets and alpine glaciers EXCEPT: a. Ice Age b. glaciation c. Late Cenozoic Ice Age d. deglaciation

d. deglaciation

A _____ is a long, narrow inlet with steep-sided walls formed from a glacial trough that becomes inundated with ocean water a. hanging valley b. truncated spur c. glacial trough d. fjord

d. fjord

The following techniques help scientists understand glacial episodes in North America EXCEPT: a. studying the stratigraphy of beds to determine glacial and interglacial periods b. oxygen-isotope analysis c. rates of accumulation of sediments d. hieroglyphics illustrating each glacial event

d. hieroglyphics illustrating each glacial event

All the following are landforms associated with periglacial regions EXCEPT: a. ice-wedge polygons b. pingos c. patterned ground d. ice sheets

d. ice sheets

Currents flowing along or parallel to the beach are termed: a. rip currents b. coastal currents c. density currents d. longshore currents

d. longshore currents

Which of the following is more likely to underlie valleys? a. quartzite b. granite c. cemented sandstone d. mudstone

d. mudstone

Extremely large waves are generated by: a. short fetch b. short duration that wind blows c. variable wind directions d. none of these

d. none of these

All are examples of the types of water that exist in the cryosphere EXCEPT: a. glaciers b. snow c. permafrost d. rivers

d. rivers

Generally, most of the sediments on beaches comes from: a. dunes b. organisms c. coastal cliffs d. rivers

d. rivers

Which material exhibits the greatest infiltration rates? a. concrete b. clay c. granite rock d. sandy soil

d. sandy soil.

Meandering channels are: a. straight b. branching c. dendritic d. sinuous

d. sinuous

What feature is present where the water table intersects the Earth's surface? a. artesian well b. lake c. aquiclude d. spring e. aquifer

d. spring

Commonly, a river is said to be graded when the longitudinal profile is _________and neither _______ or _______occurs. a. unstable; transport; erosion of channel floor b. stable; transport; erosion of channel floor c. unstable; aggradation; erosion of channel floor d. stable; aggradation; erosion of channel floor

d. stable; aggradation; erosion of channel floor.

Stream terraces are formed when: a. episodic deposition of sediment occurs on the modern flood plain b. stream erosion flattened the channel floor c. steps form on the floodplain as sediment collapses into the river channel d. streams cut into their own deposits

d. streams cut into their own deposits.

The upper unsaturated zone in the ground is termed the: a. saturated zone b. phreatic zone c. supersaturated zone d. vadose zone

d. vadose zone.

The main force shaping coastal landforms is: a. currents b. rivers draining into oceans c. winds blowing along the coast d. waves

d. waves

The water volume passing a cross-section of a channel within a certain amount of time is known as

discharge

Modest-sized, smooth, elliptical hills resulting form ice sheets overriding glacial till and reshaping the land surface are called

drumlins

Which of the following influences rates of erosion in the drainage base? a. amount of precipitation b. relief c. lithology type d. human impacts e. all of these

e. all of these

The following is an erosional landform produced by winds: a. dune b. deflation hollows c. desert pavement d. yardang e. b, c and d

e. b, c and d

Which feature is common with temperate karst regions? a. dominating karst towers b. surface depressions c. disappearing streams d. both a and b e. both b and c

e. both b and c.

In which sphere is water not present? a. lithosphere b. biosphere c. hydrosphere d. atmosphere e. none of the above

e. none of the above.

This type of mass movement involves blocks of materials moving along a rotational or curved surface.

e. slump

Granular, compacted snow, making the first stage in the formation of glacier ice after the snow survived the summer is known as

firn

A _________ is a long, narrow inlet with steep-sided walls formed from a glacial trough that becomes inundated with ocean water.

fjord

The flat, low-lying ground adjacent to a stream channel, which is built and reshaped by successive floods as sediment is deposited as alluvium in some areas and eroded in others is known as a

floodplain

Sides of mountains are constantly being eroded away creating ______, which are sharp-pointed peaks at the top of mountains

horns

Which of the following rock types would be the most well suited for karst landscape development?

jointed limestone

Which of the following vegetation settings would tend to have the fastest infiltration rates in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia?

native forest

Given exactly the same sort of rainfall event, which of the following would tend to generate the greatest peak and shortest lag time to peak on a flood hydrograph

paved urban landscape

The term representing the concept of a 'near plain' developed by William Morris Davis to describe the nearly flat landscape formed by extensive erosion over long periods of time is a/an:

peneplain

The zone in the ground that is permanently saturated with water is known as the

phreatic zone

A large, round or elliptical-shaped mound or hill, formed by water moving upward and freezing within the isolated hill is a __________________.

pingo

Tectonic basins in Nevada that filled with rain water during the periods of Pleistocene glaciation forming deep lakes are called:

pluvial lakes

When the rainfall rate exceeds the infiltration rate of the soul, this is known as

runoff

A type of soil creep in which saturated soil and rock debris are saturated with water and flow in bulk as a single mass is known as:

solifluction

Which type of moraine marks the outermost limit of ice advance, or the lowest latitude or lowest elevation extent of an ice advance?

terminal moraine

During the last glacial maximum, approximately 20,000 years ago, the southernmost boundary of permafrost was in:

the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Which drainage pattern is typical in the Appalachian Ridge and the Valley Province?

trellis

Stalagmites are very useful for

understanding past environmental changes

Striations and grooves provide important evidence concerning

which way the ice was moving