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72 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What ist the general process by which rocks are broken down at the Earth's surface |
Weathering |
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In which of the following climates will chemical weathering be the most rapid |
Hot and Humid |
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Which of the following minerals is the most stable at the Earth's surface 1) Hematite 2) Mica 3) Olivine 4) Pyroxene |
1) Hematite |
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Which of the following minerals is least stable at the Earth's surface 1) Hematite 2) Olivine 3) Pyroxene 4) Quartz |
2) Olivine |
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Which of the following promotes chemical weathering 1) High altitude 2) Low temperature 3) Sparse vegetation 4) Thick soil |
4) Thick soil |
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Which of the following statements about weathering is false 1) Rocks of different compostitions weather at different rates 2) Heat and heavy rainfall increase the rate of chemical weathering 3) The presence of soil slows down weathering of the underlying bedrock 4) The longer a rock is exposed at the surface, the more weathered it becomes |
3) The presence of soil slows down weathering of the underlying bedrock |
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A mineral that undergoes hydration |
Gains water |
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Which of the following minerals, present in a granite, is not altered by chemical weathering 1) Biotite 2) Feldspar 3) Magnetite 4) Quartz |
4) Quartz |
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Which of the following minerals is most likely to form a clay mineral during weathering 1) Calcite 2) Feldspar 3) Iron Pyroxene 4) Quartz |
2) Feldspar |
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For a fixed volume, what can be said about the ratio of surface area to volume based on the diagram |
The ratio increases as the number of particels increases |
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As a rock breaks into smaller pieces, the ratio of surface area to volume _ |
Increases |
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Which of the following chemical species is not produced by the chemical weathering of potassium feldspar (orthoclase) 1) Al2Si2O5(OH)4 (kaolinite, a clay mineral) 2) H2O (water) 3) K+ (Potassium Ion) 4) SiO2 (Dissolved silica) |
2) H2O (water) |
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Acids enhance chemical weathering. What is the most ccommon natural acid on the Earth's surface |
Carbonic Acid |
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Which of the following acids is not abundant in acid rain? 1) Carbonic Acid 2) Hydrochloric Acid 3) Nitric Acid 4) Sulfuric Acid |
2) Hydrochloric Acid |
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What happens to the potassium (K) in feldspar during chemical weathering?
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It dissolves in the water |
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What is true about silicate weathering and volcanism in regards to carbon dioxide? |
Silicate weathering decreases and volcanism increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere |
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Which of the following statements regarding carbon dioxide is true? 1) As carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, chemical weathering decreases 2) An increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cools the climate 3) Chemical weathering of feldspar is not related to atmospheric carbon dioxide 4) Chemical weathering reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere |
4) Chemical weathering reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere |
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Which of the following is a form of chemical weathering? 1) dissolution 2) exfoliation 3) frost wedging 4) all of the above |
Dissolution |
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Which kind of mineral will have the greatest chemical stability? |
A mineral with low solubility and a low rate of dissolution |
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What will decrese the rate of chemical weathering of a rock at the Earth's surface
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Decreasing the temperature |
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Which of the following minerals is most susceptible to oxidation? 1) Calcite 2) Feldspar 3) Pyroxene 4) Quartz |
3) Pyroxene |
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What causes the deep red color of soils found in warm, humid region? |
Iron oxides |
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Which of the following processes is not an example of chemical weathering 1) Dissolution of calcite 2) Breakdown of feldspar to form kaolinite 3) Splitting of a rock along a fracture 4) Rusting of a nail |
3) Splitting of a rock along a fracture |
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Which of the following is an example of physical weathering 1) Dissolution of a rock by rainwater 2) Splitting of a rock by a tree root 3) Oxidation of iron silicates in a basalt 4) Reaction of feldspar to kaolinite |
2) Splitting of a rock by a tree root |
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Physical weathering is greatest at |
High latitudes |
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Organic matter in the Earth's topsoil is called |
Humus |
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Which soil horizon consists primarily of slightly altered, weathered bedrock |
The C-horizon |
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In a soil profile, organic matter is found |
primarily in the A-horizon |
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What determines the characteristics of a soil |
Climate Type of bedrock Length of time the soil has had to develop |
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Which of the following statements is false? 1) Mass movements occur when the force of gravity exceeds the strength of the slope materials 2) Mass movements can be triggered by earthquakes and floods 3) Materials can move down a slope very slowly or as a sudden, catastrophic, large movement 4) Mass movements require wind or running water |
4) Mass movements require wind or running water |
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How is the general downhill movement of rock, soil, or unconsolidated materials under the influence of gravity best described |
Mass wasting |
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Which foce is the dominant cause of mass movement |
Gravity |
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Which of the following is not an important factor in causing mass movements? 1) Amount of water in materials 2) Steepness and instability of slopes 3) Nature of slope materials 4) Temperature of slope materials |
4) Temperature of slope materials |
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Which of the following would be most likely to undergo liquefaction 1) Granite 2) Talus slope 3) Unconsolidated soil 4) Water-saturated sand |
4) Water-saturated sand |
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A hill consisting of loose, dry sand that slopes at the angle of repose and has no vegetation 1) is stable unless over steepened by excavation 2) May flow if it becomes saturated with water 3) will be more stable if vegetation takes root on the hill 4) all of the above |
4) all of the above |
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Which of the following statements is true 1) Fine sand forms steeper slopes than coarse sand 2) Angular pebbles form steeper slopes than coarse sand 3) Water-saturated and forms steeper slopes than dry sand 4) Dry debris forms steeper slopes than damp debris |
2) Angular pebbles from steeper slopes than coarse sand |
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The angle of repose does not depend on which of the following? 1) Particle composition 2) Particle shape 3) Particle size 4) Water content |
1) Particle compostition |
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Which of the following has the steepest angle of repose 1) dry sand 2) water-saturated sand 3) damp sand 4) water-oversaturated sand |
3) damp sand |
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What is the angle of repose of dry, coarse sand |
about 40° |
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When is a slope least stable? (in regards to the angle of repose) |
When it is greater than the angle of repose |
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What kind of slope is most likely to undergo mass wasting |
A wet, steep slope of unconsolidated material
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Stripping soil of vegetation by burning or deforestation will _ the likelihood of mass movements |
increase |
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Which kind of slope is least stable? (regarding sedimentary layers) |
A slope where the sedimentary layers dip parallel to the slope |
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The accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff is called |
talus |
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In what class of mass movement does the material move as if it were a fluid |
flows |
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What is the difference between a rockslide and a rock avalanche |
In a rockslide the rocks move more or less as a unit; in a rock avalanche, the rocks move independently like a fluid |
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How would a slump be classified |
Box j |
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How would a mudflow be classified |
Box h |
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How would soil creep be classified |
Box g |
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Which type of mass movement could a person not outrun |
Devris avalanche |
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A slow slide of unconsolidated material that travels as a unit is called |
A slump |
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Which type of mass movement has the greatest air content |
Rock avalanche |
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Telephone poles that lean slightly downhill are a liekly result of which process |
creep |
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What is the difference between an earthflow and a debris flow |
Earthflwos consist of finer material than debris flows |
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Which of the following statements about mudflows is false 1) Mudflows tend to move slower than debris flows 2) Mudflows are most common is semi-arid regions 3) Mudflows contain large amounts of water 4) Mudflows can carry large boulders |
1) Mudflows tend to move slower than debris flows |
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Which process only occurs in permafrost regions |
Solifluction |
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Why are debris avalanches and mudflows common on volcanic slopes |
Because there is abundant unconsolidated volcanic ash, earthquakes are associated with volcanic eruptions trigger mass movements, volcanic eruptions trigger melting of ice and snow |
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What best describes a slump |
Slow downhill movement of unconsolidated material moving down as a unit |
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What may be triggered by submarine slides |
tsunamis |
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Mass movements would least likely occur in which of those? 1) Ocean-continent convergence zones 2) Intraplate settings 3) divergent plate boundaries 4) Ocean-ocean convergence zones |
2) Intraplate settings |
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In which climate will chemical weathering be the slowest |
cold and dry |
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chemical stability is |
a measure of a substance's tendency to remain chemically inert |
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Why is pyroxene more susceptible to oxidation than either feldspar or quartz |
Because it contains the most ferrous iron |
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Lateral and vertical movements within a developing soil are called |
Translocations |
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The two main processes that occur within a developing soil are called _ and _ |
transformations, translocations |
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What triggered the mass movement |
Translocations |
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Avalanches can reach speeds as high as |
hundreds of km/hour |
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Which of the following rocks would be most affected by chemical weathering? 1) granite 2) shale 3) basalt 4) marble |
4) marble |
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How do underground bacteria promote weathering of minerals |
They produce organic acids that dissolve the minerals |
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Bacteria under ground speed up weathering by _ in the soil |
Releasing carbon dioxide by respiration |
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One of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is |
Frost wedging |
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Which weathering process is the result of water freezing |
Oxidation |
