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140 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Science can be defined as: |
the study of the physical universe |
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A hypothesis can be defined as: |
a possible explanation of a phenomena |
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The inner core of the earth exists at which state? |
solid |
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The outer core of the earth exists in which state? |
liquid |
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The inner core and outer are composed of: |
iron-nickel |
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The mantle is composed of: |
peridotite |
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Oceanic crust is created at this type of plate boundary: |
divergent |
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Oceanic crust is destroyed at this type of plate boundary: |
convergent |
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Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are collectively known as the ______ planets. |
Jovian |
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Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are collectively known as the _______ planets. |
Terrestrial |
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The Jovian planets have what characteristics? |
large and gaseous |
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T/F: All the elements that make up the Solar System (aside from hydrogen) formed within the Sun |
False |
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T/F: Essentially all the elements that make up the Solar System formed during the explosion of a massive star, except for hydrogen and helium (supernova) |
True |
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The concept that the Solar System condensed from a cloud of gas (nebula) should be considered a(n) (according to the instructor): |
theory |
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What process causes the sun to shine? |
nuclear fusion of hydrogen |
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What causes the earth to be hot inside? |
radiation |
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How many planets make up the Solar System? |
8 |
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How much time passes during one rotation of the earth? |
One day |
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How much time passes during one revolution of the earth around the sun? |
One year |
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Which is the smallest planet? |
Mercury |
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Which is the largest planet? |
Jupiter |
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T/F: All of the Jovian planet possess rings |
True |
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The "Big Bang" theory refers to: |
The rapid expansion of matter and space that was the origin of the Universe |
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Type of energy received by the earth from the sun: |
Ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light |
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Type of energy given off by earth: |
infrared |
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In contrast to land surfaces, oceans tend to heat and cool: |
slowly |
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In contrast to oceans, land surfaces tend to heat and cool: |
quickly |
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How much of the short-wave radiation from the sun is reflected or scattered back to space before penetrating the atmosphere? |
30% |
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The atmosphere layer in which nearly all weather phenomena occur: |
Troposphere |
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The atmosphere layer containing the ozone layer: |
Stratosphere |
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T/F: The layers ("spheres") of the atmosphere are based primarily on variations in the proportion of oxygen and nitrogen. |
False |
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T/F: The layers ("spheres") of the atmosphere are based primarily on variations in the temperature trends |
True |
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In the northern hemisphere, the coriolis effect acts always to turn the flow of air to the: |
right |
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In the southern hemisphere, the coriolis effect acts always to turn the flow of air to the: |
left |
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Winds in anticyclones in the northern hemisphere spiral _____ and ______ |
outward, clockwise |
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Winds in cyclones in the northern hemisphere spiral _____ and _____ |
inward, counterclockwise |
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Which of the following represents the definition of Relative Humidity (RH)? |
The amount of moisture in the air versus the amount that air could hold under the present conditions |
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Which of the following represents the definition of Absolute Humidity (AD)? |
the amount of moisture in the air as a particular weight or volume as compared to a particular amount of air |
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Precipitation may be caused when: |
-there are strong vertical movements of air induced by local heating of some portion of the earth's surface -moist air is forced to rise over a terrestrial barrier (mountains) -relatively warm, moist air is forced to rise over a mass of colder, denser air |
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Precipitation is unlikely when: |
air sinks |
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A type of cloud which exhibits strong vertical development is: |
cumulus |
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A puffy type of cloud with vertical development: |
cumulus |
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Wind circulation around a low pressure cell: |
counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere |
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The term 'front' refers to: |
the contact zone between contrasting air masses |
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On the surface weather map of a cyclone, the cold front appears as a: |
series of v-shaped bends in the isobars |
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On the surface weather map of a cyclone, the warm front appears as a: |
series of semi-circles in the isobars |
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Large, fast-moving masses of mud and silt on the continental slope and rise are called: |
turbidity currents |
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Coral reefs found in warm shallow tropical waters that form a circular pattern surrounding what used to be an island (now buried) are called: |
atolls |
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Which of these rocks isn't found in an ophiolite sequence? |
granite intrusions |
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Which of these rocks is found in an ophiolite sequence? |
pillow basalts sheet dikes gabbro plutons peridotite |
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Which of these is an underwater volcano with an eroded, flat summit? |
guyot |
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Which of these is an underwater volcano that has never been eroded? |
seamount |
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What type of shoreline will develop along coasts where sea level rises relative to land? |
submergent |
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What are the characteristics of a shoreline shortly after emergence? |
the presence of many wave-cut terraces |
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What are the characteristics of a shoreline shortly after submergence? |
drowned coastlines |
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A sandbar that parallels a coastline for man miles: |
barrier island |
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A sandbar that may form across entrances to bays and estuaries: |
longshore bar |
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The movement of sediment along the shore due to waves washing up the beach slope at an angle: |
beach drift |
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The movement of water along the shore due to waves washing up the beach slope at an angle: |
longshore current |
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If the sand piles up on the south side of a groin, in which direction is the longshore current moving? |
south to north |
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What is the 2nd most abundant element in the earth's crust? |
silicon |
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What percentage of the earth's crust is composed of silica (silicon and oxygen together): |
75% |
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What percentage of the earth's crust is composed of oxygen? |
46.6% |
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T/F: A mineral is a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical methods (composed of only one kind of atom): |
False |
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What particles are found in orbitals around an atom? |
electrons |
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What particles are found in the nucleus of an atom? |
neutrons and protons |
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The silicate structure of the mineral quartz: |
framework silicate |
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The structure of the mineral olivine: |
isolated tetrahedra |
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A negatively charged ion is called: |
anion |
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A positively charged ion is called: |
cation |
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Which of the following is one of the eight most common elements of the earth's crust? |
sodium |
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What atoms are bonded together by sharing of electrons rather than by electrical attraction, the bonding is called: |
covalent |
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Bonding caused by atoms held together by electrical attraction of oppositely charged particles: |
ionic bond |
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What mineral has the lowest melting point? |
Quartz |
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What mineral has the highest melting point? |
Biotite |
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Which mineral is the least stable when exposed to weathering forces at the surface of the earth? |
olivine |
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Which mineral is the most stable when exposed to weathering forces at the surface of the earth? |
quartz |
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T/F: Magma that cools quickly generally forms larger crystals: |
false |
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Which of the following are the last minerals to form (i.e. at the lowest temperatures) in Bowen's reaction series as rocks cool? |
quartz and muscovite |
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Which of these best describes a continuous reaction series? |
as the temperature drops, a mineral is slightly changed by the replacement of one element for another |
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If a magma has a silica content of 50%, it will cool to become: |
basalt |
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Where does granite come from? |
from crystal settling, or a crustal assimilation |
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Where does basalt come from? |
the partial melting of peridotite at divergent boundaries |
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A volcanic (extrusive) rock composed of mafic minerals: |
basalt |
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A plutonic (intrusive) rock composed of felsic minerals: |
granite |
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What is the primary difference between gabbro and basalt? |
they have different grain sizes |
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What is the primary different between gabbro and granite? |
they have different compositions |
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Coal can best be categorized as: |
biogenic (organic) |
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What rock is formed when limestone metamorphoses? |
marble |
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What rock is formed when sandstone metamorphoses? |
quartzite |
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A lava characterized by a smooth and ropy surface: |
pahoehoe |
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A lava characterized by a rough and blocky surface: |
a'a |
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High silica content in magmas/lavas causes: |
high viscosity |
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Low silica content in magmas/lavas causes: |
low viscosity |
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T/F: Silica-poor lavas tend to be less explosive |
True |
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T/F: Silica-rich lavas tend to be less explosive |
False |
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Shield volcanoes are generally composed of what rock? |
basalt |
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Stratovolcanoes (composite cones) are generally composed of what rock? |
andesite |
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Which of the following best describes the structure of a stratovolcano (composite cone)? |
alternating layers of lava flows and ash beds, often with overlapping cones |
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Which of these best describes the structure of a plug dome? |
a single congealed mass of lava, with rubble and debris on the flanks |
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The largest volcano in California (by volume): |
Medicine Lake Highland |
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T/F: The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens was the largest volcanic eruption in the world in the last 1,000 years. |
False |
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A quake of magnitude 3 is followed a day later by a quake of magnitude 4. How many times larger were the amplitudes of the waves? |
100 times larger |
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The amount of energy released by the mag. 4 quake was how many times larger than that of the mag. 3? |
30 times larger |
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The Loma Prieta Quake of 1989 was recorded as magnitude 6.9 quake in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What was the magnitude recorded in Turlock? |
6.9 |
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If a structure with a particular natural period is hit by waves of a different period, which of the following will occur? |
Not much |
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T/F: All earthquakes in California have epicenters on the San Andreas Fault: |
True |
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The focus of a quake can be defined as: |
The exact location where the earthquake begins. |
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The wave that can pass through all materials, liquid, gas and solid: |
Primary (P) Waves |
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The wave that can only pass through a solid: |
Secondary (S) Waves |
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What is the minimum number of recording stations necessary to pinpoint the epicenter of an earthquake? |
3 |
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Seafloor spreading was first suggested as a scientific hypothesis by: |
Harry Hess |
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T/F: Rocks similar in age and structure to the Appalachian Mountains are exposed in Scotland and Scandanavia, despite no undersea connection. |
True |
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T/F: Tropical rainforests once covered parts of Russia, Poland, and the northeastern United States: |
False |
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Which of these features is found near divergent plate boundaries? |
Ocean ridges mid-ocean ridge rifts seafloor spreading |
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The volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are active because they lie near: |
a convergent plate boundary |
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Which kind of plate boundary formed the Hawaiian Islands? |
None, it is a hot spot |
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The rocks of the Sierra Nevada originated in a convergent margin as a(n): |
magmatic arc |
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T/F: At divergent boundaries, plates split apart, forming rift valleys and mid-ocean ridges: |
True |
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The Great Valley originated in a convergent margin as a(n): |
Forearc basin |
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T/F: California is presently influenced by only a transform boundary: |
False, it has all 3 |
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What is the best lining for a landfill? |
Clay: something that is impermeable |
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The various dripstone and flowstone features in caverns are collectively called: |
Speleothems |
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Permeable rock strata or sediment that transmit groundwater freely are called: |
Aquifers: because water dissolves limestone, it forms caves. Occasionally caves collapse and forms sinkholes. |
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An irregular terrain punctuated with many sinkholes is said to exhibit ______ topography. |
Karst: a region where it has lots of sinkholes and caverns |
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A(n) _______ stream is one in which water tends to sink into the ground because the water table is too low to support seepage and stream flows. |
Influence stream |
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Name given to wells which flow freely due to high pressures in the aquifer: |
Artesian systems |
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The main controlling force in mass wasting: |
Gravity |
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Which of these conditions may lead to slope failure (slumping)? |
Climatic conditions and softer rock types results in material weather quickly and erode easily |
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Gradual, imperceptible downhill movement of regolith and soil downslope: |
Debris Flow |
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Which form of mass wasting probably moves more material than any other? |
Soil creep |
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What form of mass wasting occurs along a curving slip plane? |
rotational slump |
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T/F: Water is involved in all mass-wasting processes: |
False |
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Where is most of the world's supply of fresh water stored? |
glaciers |
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This value is calculated by multiplying the area of a channel by the average velocity of water |
The Discharge measurement |
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The curving bends that characterize many rivers are called: |
Meander |
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The _____ of a stream is the measure of the maximum load it is capable of transporting. |
capacity |
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If the capacity of a stream is exceeded, the stream will begin to: |
erode its channel or banks |
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Name given to floodplain tributaries that have difficulty entering main stream due to presence of natural levees: |
yazoo |
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Areas of deposition on the insides of meanders are known as: |
Point bar |