GEOL 105 exam 4
The Coriolis effect causes winds to be deflected to the _______ of their direction of motion in the Northern Hemisphere and to the _______ of their direction of motion in the Southern Hemisphere.
right - left
What are narrow surface currents that flow in the same general direction as the approaching waves?
rip currents.
Which of the following is not a parameter affecting the formation of a hurricane?
salinity.
What is the size of particles that are usually the first to be set in motion by wind?
sand.
What is the name of the glacial landform found at the base of this glacier? https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/946xvariable_height/public/images/741960main_DSC6233_PennyIceCap_terminalmoraine-orig_full.jpg?itok=-cvHfbXU
terminal moraine.
The distal end or edge of the glacier is called its
terminus.
Which of the following is an example of climate?
the average temperature in Lafayette over the past 50 years
What is Coriolos effect caused by?
the rotation of the Earth.
The primary source of energy in Earth's climate system is
the sun
Based on the profile of the valley below, how did it form? https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Image-5-U-shaped-Valley-KMarr-RBCM.jpg
the valley is U-shaped, so it was carved by glaciers.
Plants use carbon dioxide and water to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. When they are doing a lot of photosynthesis, plants reflect light strongly in which of the following wavelengths?
near-infrared
Which gaseous element composes the greatest percentage of the air we breathe?
nitrogen
What is the name of the sedimentary landform found at the end of this glacier? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmRGq7oW0AEaL4b.jpg
outwash plain.
Desertification results from _______ and _______.
overgrazing - global warming
Dunes that form when vegetation cover is broken by deflation and the dune tips point upwind are
parabolic.
Climate is:
pattern of weather over a long period of time.
Glaciers move primarily by _______ flow.
plastic
What is the name of this landform formed by intense evaporation and precipitation of salt crystals? https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/37000/37536/badwater_tm5_2005040.jpg
playa and playa lake.
A saline, temporary lake in a desert is known as a(n) _______ lake.
playa.
The bending of waves toward shore as they approach from an oblique angle is called wave
refraction
Ocean currents move in the direction of local winds.
False.
Energy is transferred from wind to water to create waves by
friction.
Explosive volcanic eruptions can act to _______ global temperatures.
lower
If Earth's atmosphere contained no greenhouse gases, the average surface temperature would be
lower
Increased levels of atmospheric CO2 will ultimately _______ the pH of global oceans.
lower
Loess is important because it
makes fertile soil.
A structure built perpendicular to shore to enlarge a beach or prevent erosion is a(n)
groin
Air flows from _______ pressure regions to _______ pressure regions.
high - low
In the process of sublimation
ice changes directly into water vapor.
Where have some of the strongest and earliest impacts of global warming occured?
in northern latitudes
In a cross-section of a glacier, where do the greatest flow velocities occur?
in the few tens of meters below the surface.
What are windblown deposits of silt and clay?
loess.
High pressure troughs exist where cooler, denser air begins to descend at about _______ to _______ degrees latitude, N and S.
20 - 30
Geologic evidence suggests that oceans were present by at least
3.5 billion years ago
During the past century, sea level has risen ______ inches.
6
How much have sea levels risen in the past 100 years?
7 inches
The two important types of near shore currents are _______ currents and _______ currents.
longshore - rip
The apparent deflection of a moving object from its anticipated course resulting from earth's rotation is called
Coriolis effect
Rip currents commonly develop in regions where wave heights are highest.
False
Which of the following gases does not trap heat?
Nitrogen
How are spits, hooks, and baymouth bars formed?
Sand is deposited from longshore currents.
Why do levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fall during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere?
The Northern Hemisphere is covered by a significant amount of vegetation. During the summer this vegetation takes up more carbon dioxide, and during the winter, when it decays, it releases more carbon dioxide.
Fires release the carbon stored in plants, so measuring the extent and severity of forest fires around the globe is an important ingredient in understanding the carbon cycle.
True
The ocean affects Earth's climate.
True
Based on the profile of the valley below, how did it form? https://i0.wp.com/www.geoforcxc.com/wp-content/uploads/v-shaped-valley.jpg?ssl=1
V-shaped, carved by rivers.
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
When the gasses in our atmosphere trap heat and block it from escaping our planet.
The zone of wastage is the portion of a glacier where _______ exceed _______.
losses - accumulation
What type of glacial landform is represented in the picture below? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/13374/production/_111980787_matterhorn.jpg
a horn.
During sandstorms, how high can sand be lifted into the air?
about three feet
What does wind erode by?
abrasion and deflation.
In general, rates of glacial flow are greatest in the zone of
accumulation.
The zone of _______ is the portion of a glacier where additions exceed losses.
accumulation.
A glaciers budget is balanced when
additions to the zone of accumulation equal losses in the zone of wastage.
The amount of radiation reflected by a surface is termed its:
albedo
Sediment is lost from the nearshore zone by
all of these: -wind erosion -deposition into submarine canyons -offshore transport
Fan-shaped landforms that develop in deserts adjacent to highlands, such as the one below (used for agriculture) are known as _______ fans. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Death_Valley_Wash_aerial.jpg/640px-Death_Valley_Wash_aerial.jpg
alluvial.
As average global temperature rises,
average precipitation increases
A broad alluvial apron formed by the coalescence of alluvial fans as pictured below is called a(n) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Death_Valley_Wash_aerial.jpg/640px-Death_Valley_Wash_aerial.jpg
bajada
What type of dunes are pictured below? i.pinimg.com/originals/e0/9f/03/e09f033f886693b817ffebb5cd2ca97b.jpg
barchan.
Which are the most mobile dunes?
barchan.
What is one major problem for residents on barrier islands?
barrier islands migrate landward.
A spit that has lengthened until it closes the mouth of a bay is a(n)
baymouth bar
A deposit of unconsolidated sediment that extends landward from low tide to a change in topography or to where permanent vegetation begins is a(n)
beach
What is the name of the flat-topped erosional remnants with steep slopes such as pictured below? images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/hunts-mesa-sunrise-alex-mironyuk.jpg
buttes and mesas.
Which of the following factors most contributes to current global warming?
carbon dioxide emissions
In some parts of the world, rainstorms have become more intense over the past several decades. Is that a change in weather or climate?
climate.
The presence of _______ in the upper 40 m or so of a glacier indicates that this portion behaves not as a plastic, but as a(n) _______ solid.
crevasses - brittle
The close fitting mosaic of pebbles, cobbles, and boulders covering the floor of many deserts and semi-arid regions is called what?
desert pavement.
Any sediment deposited as a result of glacial activity is known as glacial
drift.
What is a coast that is straight and has marine terraces called?
emergent coast
When snow thaws and refreezes, which results in a loss of air and pore spaces, the result is
firn.
Alluvial fans are composed of sediment that is _______ and _______ stratified.
unconsolidated - poorly
Glacial till is
unstratified sediment deposited directly by a glacier.
Vertical ocean circulation, in which water moves from deep to shallow, is called
upwelling.
What is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States?
using transportation
A glacier that is confined by topography and has tributaries is a
valley glacier.
What type of glacier is pictured below? https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/749294main_2_AletschglacierInSw.jpg
valley glacier.
Finely laminated, alternating light and dark layers of sediment deposited in a glacial lake are known as glacial
varves.
Wave erosion is caused by
wave impact and abrasion by rock fragments
Water movement and sand transport parallel to the beach are fundamentally caused by:
waves impinging obliquely onto a beach