Geography 104 Test 3
Relatively small dunes that are crescentic in shape are termed _________ dunes.
barchan
The degradation of a landscape by weathering, erosion, and transportation has an ultimate "goal" of reducing the landscape down to
base level
If the Earth did not experience endogenic processes, the landscape would
be of very low relief as a result of weathering and erosion in the absence of uplift.
Watersheds are defined by
drainage divides
The suspension of finer particles by wind over significant distances is a phenomenon known as
dust storm
The term "eolian" refers to
erosion, transportation, and deposition by the wind.
Rectangular drainage patterns form as a result of
flow through a faulted landscape.
On which part of a slope would rocks tend to fall at the highest speeds?
free face
Which of the following grain sizes is most readily moved by the wind?
intermediate
Linear dunes and seif dunes are oriented
perpendicular to the wind.
For purposes of discussing eolian processes, the wind acts like a
solid
Desert pavement refers to
surfaces of concentrated pebbles and gravels.
Elongated, streamlined ridges aligned parallel to the most effective wind direction are called
yardangs
Hydrolysis involves
water chemically combining with minerals.
The disintegration and dissolving of surface and subsurface rock is called
Weathering
Water is essential to the formation of a desert pavement.
True
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
William Morris Davis, base level concept
The dynamic equilibrium model refers to
a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of reduction by weathering and erosion in a given landscape.
Once particle motion is initiated, subsequent motion can be maintained _________ because of the process of _________.
at lower wind velocities; particle impact
The removal and lifting of individual loose particles by the wind is termed
deflation
Which of the following stream channel types is likely to develop on gently sloping surfaces composed of rocks or sediments with approximately the same resistance to erosion? (Also assume that there are no structural controls on the pattern's development.)
dendric
All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term
denudation
All other factors being equal, landscapes of great relief experience
faster rates of landform change than those of low relief.
The science that specifically studies the origin, evolution, form, and spatial distribution of landforms is
geomorphology
You would expect only slight physical and chemical weathering under natural conditions of
higher temperatures and lower precipitation.
Which of the following rock types is most affected by fluvial solution?
limestone
The yellow-red stains that occur on some rock surfaces are the result of __________ which is a form of __________ weathering.
oxidation; chemical
A central peak, or a dome of a volcanic mountain, generally produces _________ drainage patterns.
radial
The ultimate base level is
sea level
Stream capture refers to
the process by which one channel erodes through a drainage divide and captures the headwater regions of another stream.
Other than the rock itself, the most important chemical substance needed for the majority of weathering processes is
water
Of the world's largest rivers, which has the greatest discharge?
Amazon River
Aggradation of a stream channel produces scouring and alluvial terraces.
False
If a landscape is evolving toward a threshold condition, this means that it is approaching a condition of stability.
False
Karst topography involves the chemical weathering of granite landscapes.
False
Knowledge of the locations of drainage divides has no practical significance.
False
Principal arid and semiarid lands only occur on the continental landmasses of the Northern Hemisphere.
False
When a stream is graded (at grade), it has attained its lowest possible gradient and slowest flow velocity.
False
Wind-blown loess deposits are only derived from glacial and periglacial sources.
False
Which of the following surface conditions would limit the effectiveness of wind as an erosional agent?
Surface materials consisting of clay-sized particles.
A floodplain consists of alluvium.
True
A ventifact can be used to determine the dominant wind direction in an area.
True
Debris slopes tend to be larger in arid climates than in humid climates.
True
Karst topography and limestone regions occur on every continent on Earth.
True
The skipping and bouncing action of saltation accounts for
about 80 percent of wind-transported particles
Braided streams, such as the Brahmaputra River, are found in areas
all of the above
Desertification is caused by
all of the above
The form that a landscape exhibits results from a balance between
all of the above
The general term for clay, silt, and sand deposited by running water is
alluvium
As a stream's carrying capacity decreases, which of the following sizes of sediments will be deposited last?
clay
