Geography 101: Exam 4
Using the map in the California Field Guide #8, sand from which location will have to travel the greatest distance along the coast before it is carried out to deep waters offshore?
Dana Point
Wind erosion involves ________, which is the lifting and removal of sand particles by wind. It may form depressions called blowouts. Creates desert pavement, or reg (stony desert surface).
Deflation
_______ drainage is the most common. Tree-like pattern.
Dendritic
Streams erode, transport, and ________.
Deposit
The Mississippi River Flood (1993) spanned 6.6 million acres, 9 states, and resulted in 38 deaths. It is a ________ year flood+, but in some areas the discharge exceeded the 500-year flood!
100
____% of all water on Earth is composed of glaciers.
2.15
The Amazon River contains ______% of total water flowing in the world's rivers. It is the largest river in the world (by volume of water).
20
The Hwang Ho (Yellow) River is in the upper reach of the river and has a Loess landscape with a heavy load of silt. Its riverbed is up to _____m higher than the flood plain!
20
YOU MADE IT
200+ TERMS?! Go have a margarita ;)
It has been calculated that _____ percent of the world's total precipitation falls over continents.
22
A 50-year flood is a flood of a size expected to occur once every ___ years.
50
Spray from breaking waves has been found to move at more than ________ miles an hour
70
_____% of all water on Earth is composed of oceans. The Pacific Ocean covers more area than all the land on Earth combined.
97.2
A coast that has risen
Emergent coast
Wave refraction results in increased ___________ on a headland.
Erosion
_________ streams originate elsewhere and flow through a dry region. Examples include the Nile and Colorado Rivers.
Exotic
Glaciers move ___________ at the surface near the center, and ____________ at the base along the sides.
Fastest; slowest
Limestone structure hanging from the Ceiling of a cave:
stalaCtite
Limestone structure reaching up from the Ground of a cave:
stalaGmite
Angle of Repose
steepest angle that loose fragments can maintain dry sand: 32-34 degrees wet sand: 80 degrees gravel: 45 degrees
The disastrous tsunami of 2004 ________.
struct coasts in the Indian Ocean
According to the California Field Guide, most of the salt found in the middle of the Badwater Basin in Death Valley is ______ ______.
table salt (NaCl)
A line connecting the deepest parts of the stream channel is the ________.
thalweg
The top of permafrost is sometimes called __________.
the active layer
Wildfires may speed up the process of physical weathering. True or false?
true
Salt Wedging
type of mechanical weathering; salt crystals grow and fracture rock *arid regions
Frost Wedging
type of mechanical weathering; water freezes, expands, and fractures rock *important at high elevations & high latitudes
Translational slide
type of slide; rock material slides on a plane of weakness; failure surface parallel to slope
Rotational slump
type of slide; rotation on a curved failure surface; material settles at top & rotates outwards
Lakes form most of the world's surface water and are formed by glacial action, sinkholes in limestone, and _________ _________/____________.
volcanic activity/faulting
Coral lives in ___________, clear water.
warm
Stream
water flowing through a channel
A horizontal bench on the shore resulting from wave erosion is called a __________.
wave-cut platform
Cliffed coast
wave-cut platform & marine terraces
Biological Weathering
weathering caused by the activities of living organisms ex. tree roots fracture rock, lichens decompose rocks
Most ocean waves are caused by
wind
Ice deep within glaciers is capable of bending rather than breaking. True or false?
True
Mechanical weathering is the most important form of weathering in a desert region. True or false?
True
Much loess deposition in eastern Asia resulted from deflation. True or false?
True
Over a span of years, worldwide precipitation will equal total evaporation/transpiration. True or false?
True
Some geysers erupt continuously. True or false?
True
The heat emanating from a geyser basin is hundreds of times greater than the heat emanating from a non-geyser of the same size. True or false?
True
Yosemite Valley went through multiple glaciations during the Pleistocene. True or false?
True
Desert streams are formed by thunderstorms, high runoff (flashfloods), and sediment. __________ is the most important for shaping features.
Water
The most important agent of erosion in a desert is _________.
Water
In the Grand Canyon, if you see a gentle slope, the rock that forms it is likely to be composed of ______________ rock.
Weak
Sea water contains 3.5% of salts by volume and ranges from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Which sides of the ocean are warmer?
West sides
Aeolian refers to _________ action. It may erode, transport, and deposit.
Wind
As an agent of erosion, ________ is more important in desert regions than in any other landscape, except beaches.
Wind
At what time of year do beaches get smaller?
Winter
The most recent glacial stage of the Pleistocene in North America was the __________.
Wisconsin
Dams
a barrier that runs across a river or stream to control the flow of water
Artesian
a free-flowing well due to increased pressure from water flowing through a confined aquifer
Divide
a ridge of land that separates one watershed from another
Stream rocks have a rounded shape principally because of _________. Bedload is most responsible for the scouring in a stream channel.
abrasion
The brilliant colors around hot springs and geysers are due to ___________.
algae
Zone of saturation
all pore spaces are filled with water
The continental divide in the main part of the United States runs __________.
along the Rocky Mountains
Steep cliffs along a shoreline often indicate
an emergent coast
An ______ is a zone of permeable rock that contains water and releases it to a well.
aquifer
Most liquid freshwater is found
as groundwater
Along coastal cliffs, the most effective wave erosion takes place
at about sea level
A circular coral island enclosing a lagoon
atoll
The most advanced stage of tropical reef formation is exhibited in an ________.
atoll
A __________ reef is a coral reef that runs parallel to a coast, and a little offshore, separated from the shore by a lagoon.
barrier
In a humid region with limestone bedrock, ________ ________ may be dissolved.
calcium carbonate
The maximum load a stream can carry is its __________. Related to stream discharge.
capacity
Chemical Weathering
chemical decomposition of rocks - high moisture & high temperatures - effective in humid tropics
If there are lots of volcanic eruptions on Earth, the global climate is likely to get ________, because volcanic ash will reflect sunlight.
colder
The size of the largest particle a stream can carry is its ________. Related to velocity.
competence
Floodwalls
concrete walls to keep stream inside its channel
Erosion involves hydraulic action, abrasion, and _________.
corrosion
According to the California Field Guide, alluvial deposits consisting of both large rocks and sand in which the large rocks come to rest without touching each other are most likely produced by ______ ____.
debris flow
Gradient, or the steepness, usually _________ downstream.
decreases
A _______ is a landform produced when sediment is deposited at the mouth of a stream. The Mississippi River has a "birdsfoot" ______. It is subsiding because of loss of sediment load and a rise in sea level.
delta
point bar
deposit of sediment build up by a river on the inside bend of a meander
Summer waves come from the south and their low energy waves ___________.
deposit sand on the beach
Erosion
detachment and removal of broken rock material
The ________ load of a stream refers to materials carried in solution (clear), while the _______ load refers to materials carried by turbulence of a stream without settling (muddy).
dissolved; suspended
__________ are small, shifting channels that carry water away from a stream.
distributaries
________ is a calcium magnesium carbonate rock which dissolves almost as easily as limestone.
dolomite
Mass Wasting
downslope movement of broken rock material; gravity is the energizing force
Levees
embankments built along a river to prevent the water from flooding the land
Water is a major agent of weathering because of its property that, when it freezes, it decreases in density and _____________.
expands in volume
Rates of denudation are highest in _______ _________.
high mountains
Chemical weathering tends to take place at the highest rate in an environment with _______ temperatures and ______ levels of moisture.
high; high
_______ ________ refer to groundwater that comes into contact with hot rocks near a magma chamber.
hot springs
Waves erode the coast by ______, hydraulic action, and abrasion.
impact
Clay layers are ________.
impermeable
Aquiclude/aquitard
impermeable rock layer
Urban development may _______ flood heights.
increase
Waterfalls develop at a _________, which is resistant rock above and less resistant rock below.
knickpoint
Glaciers, large masses of moving ice, form on _______ and move by gravity. More snow in winter than melting in summer. Grow if there is a precipitation increase OR temperature decrease.
land
Salinity is generally highest in _______ _______.
landlocked seas
Biological water (water in living organisms) constitutes what percentage of water in the Earth's system?
less than 1%
Calcium carbonate, _______, is slightly soluble in water.
limestone
Denudation
lowering of the land surface by weathering and erosion
Cone of depression
lowering of the water table around an active well
A _______ ________ is formed when a wave-cut platform is uplifted above sea level on a tectonically rising coast.
marine terrace
Flows
material flows downslope as a fluid 1. earthflow 2. mudflow
The Pleistocene Epoch ___________.
may not yet have ended
Stream channels may be straight (rare in nature), sinuous, braided, or __________.
meandering
Exfoliation
mechanical AND chemical weathering; peeling off curved layers of rock
Pressure release
mechanical weathering; as pressure is removed, rocks expand
Temperature changes
mechanical weathering; weaken rocks
The Basin and Range landscape consists of block faulting, which are parallel _________ faults that create horsts and grabens (ex. Death Valley).
normal
The dominant direction of longshore currents between Dana Point and La Jolla is from ______ to _____.
north ----> south
The ______ is base level, or the lowest point to which a stream can flow.
ocean
Erosion in a meandering stream normally takes place on the ___________ bank of a curve.
outside
Meanders become wider until they are cut off to form _______ _________.
oxbow lakes
The __________ is the bedrock of mountains.
pediment
Streams that contain water all year are called _______, while streams that contain water very briefly after a rain are called _________.
perennial; ephemeral
Weathering
physical and chemical disintegration of rock into smaller pieces
According to the California Field Guide, the most common plant you would see in the saltiest locations in Death Valley is _________.
pickleweed
A _______ is formed with the stalactite and stalagmite connect.
pillar
Ocean waters generally have the least salinity in ______ ______.
polar regions
Zone of aeration
pore spaces partly filled with water/air
Deserts have low rainfall (evaporation > ___________), little vegetation, mechanical weathering, and little soil.
precipitation
The sand from the mountains to a beach in California was composed on the most common rock-forming minerals, which are _________ and _________.
quartz feldspar
Drainage basin (watershed)
region drained by a single stream system (river & tributaries)
The existence of a stream terrace is sure evidence of ___________.
rejuvenation
Winter storm waves come from the north and their high energy waves __________.
remove sand from the beach
Talus
rock fragments at the base of the slope
Falls
rock is loosened by weathering and falls to the base of the slope
A permanent lake in a basin of internal drainage is composed of __________.
saline
An interior lake is a _____ lake.
salt
Mudflow
saturated material moves rapidly down drainage channels; often semiarid/arid region; often volcanic mudflows
Solifluction
saturated soil above permafrost moves slowly downslope
The beaches in South Florida are composed of small bits of ________.
seashells
Surface waters, such as rivers and streams, return water to the ocean and carry _________ and _________.
sediments; dissolved material
Continental Divide
separates the streams that flow into the Pacific from those that flow into the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
Earthflow
slope collapses; saturated slope moves downhill; often slowly, often in a humid environment
Soil creep
slow movement of soil particles under the influence of gravity; slowest and least noticeable form of mass wasting
A wide shallow channel is _________ than a narrow, deep channel.
slower
The more rough a channel is, the more friction, and therefore the ________ it moves.
slower
______ load materials are carried along the bed of a stream. It is carried in 2 ways: _________ (bounce) and _________ (sliding/pushing/rolling/dragging).
Bed; Saltation; Traction
A ________ stream is interconnected, has an excessive load of sand and gravel, and is wide & shallow.
Braided
Walls parallel to the shore that protect the harbor are called _____________.
Breakwater
A _________ stream gentle curves.
Sinuous
Mesa and Scarp Landscape
- Colorado Plateau: horizontal sedimentary strata - Sedimentary layers erode to a layer of resistant rock (caprock)
Basin and Range Landscape
- Internal drainage - Exotic Rivers - Rugged mountains and flat basins - Normal faults
Chemical decomposition of rock includes ...
- Oxidation (iron & aluminum) - Hydrolysis - Carbonation (limestone)
Velocity of a stream
- faster the stream, the larger the grain size carried - maximum velocity is near the middle of straight channel - on a curved channel, maximum velocity is on the outside of the curve
Mass wasting facilitated by ...
- oversteepening - road cut at base of slope - irrigating a yard at the top of slope - decrease friction - add weight to the top of the slope - remove vegetation - dipping layers of sedimentary rocks resulting in falls, slides, and flows
What happens when a wave moves into shallow water?
- wavelength decreases - wave height increases - velocity decreases
_____% of all water on Earth is composed of groundwater.
0.62
Mississippi River Drainage Basin drains _____ of the lower 48 states.
1/3
The Pleistocene Epoch started about 2.5 million years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. _______ of the Earth was covered with ice. Now, 10% of the Earth is covered by ice.
1/3
About _____% of Earth is covered with ice.
10
Soluble carbonate rocks are at or near approximately ________ percent of Earth's land surface.
10
Glaciers move through plastic flow, which is where they deform & spread outwards, as well as _______ _________.
Basal sliding
Glaciers grow if accumulation exceeds ________.
Ablation
The equilibrium line is where __________ balances ablation.
Accumulation
________ _____ are formed when sediment pours out of V-shaped canyons.
Alluvial fans
______ is stream-deposited material. It is deposited when discharge/velocity decreases.
Alluvium
________ is a series of alluvial fans that have coalesced along the foot of mountains to form a gently sloping plain of sediments.
Bajada
_________ dunes are crescent-shaped. Their horns point downwind. Constant wind, limited sand supply.
Barchan
_________ is the most easily dissolved in water.
Calcium
________ drainage involve streams converging into a central basin.
Centripetal
The LA River is a concrete channel. _________ increases velocity, decreases flooding, decreases infiltration but also increases runoff/pollution to the ocean and decreases habitat.
Channelization
________ _______ are different layers of sand that are manipulated by wind direction.
Cross beds
__________ _____________ involves the weight of ice depresses the crust and rebounds after glaciers melt.
Crustal Depression
Coral growing on the shore of an island
Fringing reef
Snowflakes are compressed to form granular snow, which is compressed to form neve/firn, which is compressed into _______ ________.
Glacial ice
Headwaters are steep, resulting in V-shaped valleys, rapids and waterfalls. Wide flood pain flows into the mouth which is a gentle slope. The ______ is the angle of a stream channel measured by its steepness.
Gradient
According to the California Field Guide, Yosemite Valley is made up of _______.
Granite
Walls perpendicular to the shore that are used to trap sand are called _____________.
Groins
According to the California Field Guide, alluvial fans that have a lot of desert varnish or desert pavement indicate that it is _________.
Inactive
Water flows to interior basins but does not reach the ocean, creating ________ drainage.
Internal/interior
How is the Santa Barbara harbor kept clear?
It is dredged all year.
Why are more than HALF of all the hydrothermal features in the world located in Yellowstone?
It's above a mantle plume
________ topography refers to landscape that develops in humid regions with limestone bedrock. Includes caverns, sinkholes, and poor developed stream networks.
Karst
__________ is windblown silt. Fine particles of silt that may be cemented by calcium carbonate.
Loess
_______ dunes are parallel to each other and to the wind, plentiful sand, wind coming from two directions.
Longitudinal
___________ _________ flows parallel to shore and transports sand down coast.
Longshore current
A __________ stream has wide curves, is common in the lower reach of the stream, develops on a flood plain, and carries silt & clay.
Meandering
According to the California Field Guide, why are there few large glacial moraines found within Yosemite Valley?
Meltwater carried the glacial debris down to the Central Valley
The ___________ zone is not covered by ice sheets, but is influenced by it. Includes meltwater and frost weathering.
Periglacial
Mesa and Scarp landforms, large to small
Plateau, mesa, butte, pinnacle
A _________ is a dry desert lake that may hold water occasionally. It has a flat surface of clay/silt and salt deposits.
Playa
_________ lakes are the result of extra rainfall.
Pluvial
_______ ________ is most closely associated with the compression of air in coastline rocks.
Pneumatic action
Discharge (volume of water) equation
Q = W * D * V Channel width * Channel depth * Velocity
________ drainage are streams that radiate out from a mountain.
Radial
___________ makes lime precipitate out of a water solution.
Reduction of temperature and pressure
According to the California Field Guide, the Central Valley of California actually consists of the valleys of two rivers. What are the two rivers?
Sacramento River San Joaquin River
Bouncing action of individual sand grains along the desert floor
Saltation
According to the California field guide, oil and natural gas are extracted in the ______ ________ _________.
San Joaquin Valley
Wind deposition creates ________ ___________, which is loose windblown sand. The windward side has a gentle slope, while the leeward side is steep.
Sand dunes
According to the California Field Guide, the Central Valley Project diverts water from which 3 of these major rivers, primarily for agricultural use?
Stanislaus River Sacramento River American River
_________ dune crests radiate away from the center. Plentiful sand, wind from multiple directions, tallest, fixed almost permanently.
Star
Internal Drainage
Stream drains into interior basin - water is saline
________ coasts, where sea level has risen, are more common than emergent coasts.
Submergent
___________ (summer/winter) waves normally deposit sand on the beach.
Summer
Why does building a dam on a river sometimes contribute to coastal erosion?
Supply of sediment to beaches is cut off
Fine dust particles carried high above the ground for long distances
Suspension
At a depth that is below about _____________, the motion of the wave can no longer be felt.
half the wavelength
Mechanical Weathering
The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces ex. frost wedging, salt wedging, temperature changes, pressure release
What adverse effect do groins and jetties both have on coastal erosion?
They stop transport of sand along the coast and deprive areas downcurrent of sand
Rolling or pushing along of particles by wind along the desert floor
Traction
Wind transports through suspension (fine particles - dust), saltation, and _________ (large particles - sand).
Traction
__________ dunes are covered by sand and the crests of the sand dunes are perpendicular to the wind.
Transverse
______ drainage involves long, parallel streams that alternate between layers of hard and soft rock.
Trellis
A tsunami generated by the 1964 Alaska earthquake killed people in California. True or false?
True
According to the California Field Guide, the Central Valley Project diverts so much water from the San Joaquin River that a section of the river goes dry almost every year. True or false?
True
As a landscape feature, natural lakes should be viewed as temporary in the context of Earth history. True or false?
True
Caverns can form in marble bedrock. True or false?
True
Drainage in karst areas is often beneath the surface. True or false?
True
Loess accumulates downwind from the source of fine sediment, is found in China and the US, may collapse in earthquakes, and often has ________ soil.
fertile
A _______ is a broad strip of land in a river valley that is covered with sediments. Covered with water during floods. Characterized by meanders, oxbow lakes, and _______ __________.
floodplain; natural levees
Intermittent stream
flowing water periods during WET SEASON
Slides
form of mass wasting in which the material moves downslope as a solid mass 1. rotational slump 2. translational slide
According to the California Field Guide, several times during the Pleistocene epoch, Death Valley was filled with as much as 600 feet of ______ ________.
fresh water
Most of the fresh water on Earth is
frozen
A _______ is a vent/opening in the ground from which steam and other gases escape.
fumarole
________ are eruptions of water and steam. Constriction in rock layers prevents water from rising easily. Found in Yellowstone, Iceland, New Zealand, and Siberia. May be used for geothermal energy.
geysers
A block of land that has been dropped down between two parallel normal faults is a/an _____________. A block of land that has been raised up between two parallel normal faults is a/an _______.
graben; horst
Frost wedging is associated with _______ _______ in coarse-grained rocks.
granular disintegration
The greater the discharge the ...
greater its capacity, or the more sediment a stream can carry
Water table
the top of the saturated zone
What is the intended purpose of the seawalls, riprap, and concrete plugs along the coast at Del Mar Shores?
to reduce the erosion of the coastal bluffs and cliffs
_________ ________ refers to tall, steep limestone hills in a karst landscape.
tower karst
A _________ includes massive deposits of calcium carbonate deposited by hot springs.
travertine
