Physical Geography Exam 4 (ch 15,16,18,19,20) Study

33. According to the map in the textbook, the southernmost extent of contemporary glaciers in the United States is in California and ________. A) Maine B) Florida C) Minnesota D) Colorado E) Wyoming

Colorado

20. ________ is a measure of the particle size a stream can transport. A) Gradient B) Force C) Equilibrium D) Capacity E) Competence

Competence

48. Water moving roughly parallel to the shoreline is called ________. A) swash B) oblique waves C) backwash D) stream outflow E) a longshore current

a longshore current

38. The lower part of a glacier where there is a net annual loss of ice from melting and sublimation is the zone of ________. A) ablation B) evaporation C) névé D) till E) striation

ablation

5. The slowest and least perceptible form of mass wasting is ________. A) solifluction B) exfoliation C) mudflow D) landslide E) creep

creep

11. This drainage pattern looks like the veins on the underside of a leaf: A) dendritic. B) trellis. C) centripetal. D) radial. E) annular.

dendritic

16. Branching channels that cross a delta are known as ________. A) 3rd order streams B) tributaries C) graded streams D) youthful streams E) distributaries

distributaries

18. The detachment and removal of fragmented rock material is known as ________. A) erosion B) diastrophism C) leaching D) regolith stripping E) sedimentation

erosion

34. A huge boulder resting on a completely different type of bedrock in glacial zones is a(n) ________. A) outwash plain B) cirque C) till D) nunatak E) erratic

erratic

37. Long sinuous ridges of stratified drift are termed ________. A) kettles B) kames C) outwash plains D) aretes E) eskers

eskers

4. Water is a major agent of weathering because of its property that, when it freezes, it decreases in density and ________. A) expands in volume B) turns acidic C) turns white D) evaporates E) stays in liquid form below 0° Celsius

expands in volume

9. Which of the following is most effective in weathering rock? A) plant roots B) daily heating and cooling C) freeze/thaw cycles D) salt wedging E) fire

freeze/thaw cycles

2. The most important type of mechanical weathering process is ________. A) uniformitarianism B) frost shattering C) oxidation D) hydrolysis E) salt wedging

frost shattering

36. A(n) ________ is created by a group of cirques eroding into a mountain peak. A) cyclopean step B) truncated spur C) arete D) tarn E) horn

horn

6. The rotting of rock by the various types of chemical weathering takes place best in ________. A) arid lands B) humid regions C) limestone regions D) upland montane forests E) polar regions

humid regions

1. The chemical union of water with another substance is called ________. A) hydrolysis B) oxidation C) solifluction D) talus E) magma

hydrolysis

12. Streams which flow for only a part of the year are ________. A) antecedent B) superimposed C) dry D) consequent E) intermittent

intermittent

28. Rainfall in deserts A) is usually intense. B) totals just as much as in humid areas. C) is incapable of moving much material. D) is usually associated with slow runoff. E) lasts for many days when it does come.

is usually intense

39. Snow is changed by ________ into glacial ice. A) rain B) millions of years of time C) ablation D) pressure and weathering E) basal slip

millions of years of time

19. On a meandering stream, maximum erosion takes place along the ________. A) outer edge of the meanders B) bottom C) places with the slowest flow D) islands E) inner edge of the meanders

outer edge of the meanders

32. The maximum extent of a glacier is marked by a ________. A) terminal moraine B) hanging valley C) valley train D) tarn E) lateral moraine

terminal moraine

55. What is the difference in direction that barchanoid and parabolic dunes point?

-Barchanoid:These dunes are crescent-shaped individual mounds. Barchanoid dunes are formed from the upwind slope, which is usually less than 15ƒ, is wind packed, and firm. Sizes of individual simple barchans range from a meter or so to perhaps a hundred meters from horn to horn. -Parabolic:These are U-shaped or V-shaped stack of well-sorted sand.Parabolic dunes extend downwind from blowouts in sand sheets only partly anchored by vegetation. Parabolic dunes can also originate from beach sands and extend inland into vegetated areas in coastal zones and on shores of large lakes.

56. What is loess?

-a loamy deposit formed by wind, usually yellowish and calcareous, common in the Mississippi Valley and in Europe and Asia.

58. What is the difference between a tributary and a distributary?

-dis-tributaries are branches of a river while tributaries are small channels or rivers which combine to form the main river.

52. What is a tombolo?

A bar of sand or shingle joining an island to the mainland.

44. The oceanic tides rise and fall in a rhythmic cycle that takes place roughly once every ________ hours. A) 12 B) 18 C) 6 D) 24 E) 4

A) 12

57. What is an advantage and a disadvantage of building a dam on a river?

Advantage: -Clean Energy Hydroelectricity harnesses the kinetic energy of moving water to move turbines, which in turn generate electricity. Hydropower is renewable and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. -Regulates Water Supply When a river is dammed, the water pools and forms a reservoir. This allows population centers to collect fresh water during periods of heavy rainfall to be used during droughts and dry spells. Dams can also be used to control flood water and supply a regulated amount of water to surrounding areas for irrigation. Consequently, dams provide a buffer to extreme or irregular weather. Disadvantage: -Floods Surrounding Areas When a river is dammed, water is displaced and surrounding dry areas are flooded. Often this results in the displacement local populations and the inability to use land previously accessible. This can disrupt local activities like agriculture. Moreover, when vegetation is engulfed in water, the dead vegetation releases methane into the atmosphere, increasing the production of greenhouse gases. Additionally, the loss of forestland slows the uptake of carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas. - Disrupts Ecosystems The flooding of surrounding areas displaces existing wildlife and can disrupt whole ecosystems. Furthermore, marine life that relies on the unobstructed flow of the river (e.g. migratory fish) can be adversely affected

31. At its maximum extent, ice covered almost ________ of the Earth's land surface. A) 4/5 B) 1/3 C) 3/4 D) 1/2 E) 1/10

B) 1/3

40. Glaciers carve ________-shaped valleys. A) V B) T C) U D) Q E) S

C) U

14. Rivers down cutting into a land surface, in the absence of other forces, usually tend to erode a ________-shaped form. A) U B) delta C) V D) groove E) flat bottomed

C) V

15. The total volume of flow in streams is termed ________. A) the delta coefficient B) turbulence C) overland flow D) the interfluve E) discharge

E) discharge

23. Africa's best example of an exotic river is the ________. A) Congo B) Nile C) Orange D) Rhine E) Amazon

Nile

51. Compare the height of normal waves and tsunami waves in the open ocean.

Normal ocean waves are caused by the wind, weather, tides, and currents.Tsunami waves do not resemble normal sea waves, because their wavelength is far longer. Rather than appearing as a breaking wave, a tsunami may instead initially resemble a rapidly rising tide, and for this reason they are often referred to as tidal waves.

10. ________ and amount of moisture present can be used to classify types of mass wasting. A) Amount of chemical weathering B) Gravity C) Amount of mechanical weathering D) Temperature E) Speed of movement

Speed of movement

46. A ________ is a landform which almost always assumes a circular shape. A) atoll B) spit C) tombolo D) hook E) none of the above

atoll

24. Alluvial fans which have expanded and joined over time form a landscape feature known as a(n) ________. A) bajada B) plinth C) slip face D) sand plain E) alkali flat

bajada

13. An imaginary surface extending beneath the continents which limits how deep streams may cut is ________. A) a trellis B) base level C) a knickpoint D) grade E) traction

base level

45. Beach sand moves along the shore in a movement of materials called ________. A) tombolo genesis B) barrier bar deposition C) beach drifting D) karst solution E) spit organization

beach drifting

8. From a chemical standpoint, the three reacting agents of greatest importance to weathering are ________. A) hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen B) water vapor, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide C) oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide D) carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor E) none of the above

carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor

35. The movement of a glacier is normally measured in ________ per day. A) tens of kilometers B) meters C) centimeters D) kilometers E) tens of meters

centimeters

27. Sand dunes are composed mainly of individual grains of ________. A) calcium carbonate B) sodium C) quartz D) lime E) loess

quartz

43. The phenomenon of waves changing direction as they approach the shoreline is known as ________. A) eruption B) refraction C) magic D) submergence E) carbonation

refraction

17. The process in which small particles are moved along by streamflow or wind in a series of jumps or bounces is ________. A) meandering B) turbulence C) traction D) base level E) saltation

saltation

25. The steeper leeward side of a sand dune is called a ________. A) seif B) slip face C) bajada D) playa E) gibber

slip face

3. The main downslope movement of subarctic and arctic landscapes is ________. A) mass wasting B) permafrost C) mudslide D) solifluction E) rock glacier

solifluction

30. Which of the following is NOT associated with the work of the wind? A) saltation B) sandblasting C) traction D) solution E) deflation

solution

49. A wave will "break" because ________. A) of random molecular motion in wave forms B) the bottom interferes with its oscillatory motion C) the wind increases its speed near shorelines D) the sediment load of water is greater near the shore E) the density of water increases closer to shore

the bottom interferes with its oscillatory motion

21. The process of shifting loose particles by blowing them into the air or rolling them on the ground is called ________. A) deflation B) the arid cycle C) aggradation D) sand motion E) the fluvial process

the fluvial process

26. The wind rolling pebbles across the desert surface is an example of ________. A) scree B) creep C) abrasion D) deposition E) traction

traction

41. Seismic sea waves may also be referred to as ________. A) waves of translation B) tombolos C) forced waves D) breakers E) tsunamis

tsunamis

47. If you were floating in the middle of the ocean and a wave passed by, your motion would be ________. A) in the direction opposite to that of the wave B) first in the direction of the wave and then in the direction opposite to that of the wave C) up and down D) in the direction of the wave E) none of the above

up and down

22. The single most important agent of landscape formation in deserts is ________. A) solution B) creep C) water D) wind E) geologic uplift

water

42. The single most important force in shaping coastal topography is (are) the ________. A) ice push B) longshore current C) waves D) stream outflow E) tidal movement

waves

7. Which of the following must take place FIRST during the denudation of a landscape? A) erosion B) mass wasting C) weathering D) They must occur simultaneously. E) None of them must occur first.

weathering

29. Aeolian processes refer to those involving ________. A) groundwater B) ice C) running water D) wind E) chemical weathering

wind

50. In what time of year do beaches get smaller? A) winter B) summer C) At no time; there is no seasonal pattern. D) spring E) fall

winter

53. What are three erosional landforms associated with alpine (mountain) glaciers?

• Glacial valleys and arêtes. • Hanging valleys. • Cirques, horns, and cols.

54. What are three depositional landforms associated with continental glaciers?

• Moraines. • Drumlins. • Outwash plains. • Kettles. • Eskers.