Geography exam 3
transition zone from the upper mantle to the crust is known as the ________ discontinuity.
Mohorovii
________ is the coherent theory that describes the motion of the Earth's lithosphere and associated processes and results
Plate tectonics
Most cratons date to the
Precambrian eon
Which of the following statements about Earth's core is not correct?
The inner core is believed to be liquid and the outer core solid.
Which of the following is incorrect regarding floodplains?
They are characterized by rapids and low waterfalls
Which of the following may act as a local base level
a lake that a river flows into
Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests. The layers near the crest (i.e., the upward fold) form
an anticline.
Limestone formed from the shells of marine organisms is an example of ________ sedimentary rock
biochemical
he Mississippi River delta has widely spaced distributary channels extending long distances into the Gulf of Mexico. This is an example of a(n) ________ delta
bird's-foot
The geologic cycle is fueled by
both solar energy and the Earth's internal hea
Excess sediment may result in which of the following channel patterns
braided stream
The main process contributing material in solution in sediment load is
chemical weathering
Sedimentary rock formed from dissolved minerals that precipitate out of water solution and build up to form rock are
chemical.
A large region where a craton is exposed at the surface is known as a
continental shield
Identify the correct sequences for the following layers: Lower mantle, upper mantle, Asthenosphere, Crust
crust, asthenosphere, upper mantle, lower mantle (bottom)
A ________ is a mixture of water and loosely consolidated sediment, such as gravels, boulders, and coarse rock fragments, moving downslope.
debris flow
Mounting evidence indicates that the dramatic increase in the number of earthquakes in the central United States is caused by
deep wastewater injection wells
All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term
denudation
A stream's volume of flow per unit of time is its
discharge
Watersheds are defined by
drainage divides
When pressure is removed from overlying rock, the pressure of deep burial is relieved, initiating pressure-release jointing. The joints then separate into curved slabs. This is known a
exfoliation
The fact that water expands as much as 9% of its volume as it freezes is the basis of
frost wedging
Orogenesis refers to
general term for a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust.
The angle of repose represent a balance between the driving force and resisting force. Which of the following is the driving force
gravity
Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of
higher rainfall and temperatures
Which of the following is not a type of physical weathering process?
hydrolysis
A batholith forms from
intrusive igneous rock
Continuing dissolution and collapse may lead the coalescing of sinkholes to form a
karst valley
Which human-induced mass movement event occurred in 2013 on an unstable slope within the Bingham Canyon Mine?
landslide
Molten rock that pours forth on Earth's surface is called
lava
Effusive eruptions are not related to which of the following?
magma rich in silica and aluminum
Tensional stress along a fault can result in a dropped hanging-wall block relative to the footwall side, producing a
normal fault
the Andes of South America formed as a result of the Nazca plate subducting beneath the South American plate. This is an example of ________ collision
oceanic plate-continental plate
A(n) ________ is a meander that becomes isolated from the rest of the river
oxbow lake
The three most abundant elements in Earth's crust are
oxygen, silicon, and aluminum
This drainage pattern results when streams flow off a central peak or dome
radial
Which of the following can lead to the slope failure that causes mass movement
saturation, oversteepening of slopes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions
The ultimate base level is
sea level.
What type of rock is derived from the bits and pieces of former rocks?
sedimentary
In stream formation, surface water initially moves down slope in a thin film called
sheetflow
A gently sloping mountain landform built from effusive eruption is known as a
shield volcano
As a stream's competence decreases, which of the following sediments would be deposited last?
silt
Which of the following is not a class of mass movement?
slip
Inclined surfaces that form the boundaries of landforms are known as
slopes
A slow persistent mass movement of surface soil is called
soil creep
the scientific study of rock strata (layers) is known as ________ and based on the principle of ________.
stratigraphy; superposition
When lateral shear causes horizontal movement along a fault plane, the resulting fault is called a
strike-slip fault
The sediment load consisting of fine-grained clastic particles held aloft in the stream is the
suspended load
Pulverized rock and clastic materials ejected violently during an eruption are called
tephra, or pyroclastics
Under pressure, rocks can bend and deform, and then spring back to their initial shape after pressure is released. This is known as
the elastic-rebound theory
Plants are important to the development of karst primarily because
they supply organic acids that enhance the dissolution process
Carbonation, in terms of chemical weathering, occurs when
water vapor dissolves carbon dioxide, yielding precipitation that contains carbonic acid
A 50-year flood has an annual exceedance probability of
2%
During the past 4 million years, ________ geomagnetic reversals have occurred.
9
The river with the greatest discharge is the
Amazon
The most recent epoch in the geologic time scale is the ________, though numerous scientists agree we have entered a new epoch called the ________.
Holocene; Anthropocene
are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries.
Hot spots