Earth/Space Science Chapter 10 – Flashcards

Which of the following factors caused some high peaks of the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest to have high potential for slope failure? a) they are volcanoes with steep slops b) they experience heavy rainfall c) they may contain loose volcanic ash and other volcanic materials d) all of these

Which of the following has the lowest potential for landslides? a) bluffs along rivers in the central U.S. b) Appalachian Mountains c) southern California d) Florida e) Pacific Northwest

If a soil is too sandy, it will usually a) have a high cation exchange capacity. b) form steep bluffs and encourage contact metamorphism. c) lose its water and nutrients too easily. d) be too compacted for most engineering applications.

Which of the following is a way that slopes fail? a) rocks, soil, sediment, and ice slides down steep hillsides b) soil and other loose material can flow rapidly down slopes, forming debris flows c) pieces of loose rock accumulate on talus slopes until the angle becomes too steep d) large blocks fall from cliffs e) All of these.

Which of the following slope failures moves at the slowest rate? a) rock fall b) debris flow c) debris avalanche d) earth flow e) rock avalanche

Which of the following factors is typically NOT used to classify slope failures? a) the mechanism by which material moves b) the climate in which the failure occurs c) whether the material involved is rock or is unconsolidated d) the rate of movement

What is the angle of repose? a) the steepest angle at which loose material remains stable b) the angle of bedding on hills where layers dip parallel to the slope c) the angle at which rainfall strikes an unstable slope d) the angle of fractures on hills where fractures dip parallel to the slope

The most direct and fundamental relationship between overgrazing and soil erosion is that a) overgrazing leads to soil compaction. b) overgrazing increases that amount of suspended particles in the air. c) overgrazing causes eutrophication. d) overgrazing leads to the loss of vegetation.

Which of the following is NOT a source of material for soil? a) weathered rock and sediment b) leaves and other plant debris c) CO2 gas from roots d) water from precipitation and snowmelt e) all of these are a source of material in soil

Which of the following is NOT a common trigger for slope failure? a) adding water to a slope b) volcanic eruption c) shaking during an earthquake d) oversteepening of cliffs or hillslopes during road construction e) all of these are common triggers for slope failure

Which of the following slope failures is most likely to cause large numbers of casualties? a) earth flow b) debris slide c) creep d) rock avalanche e) rotational slide

In general, the healthiest soil texture for plants is one in which a) sand dominates, silts are next highest in concentration, and clay has the smallest concentration. b) sand dominates, clays are next highest in concentration, and silt has the smallest concentration. c)there is a relatively even percentage of sand, silt, and clay. d) clay dominates, sands are next highest in concentration, and silt has the smallest concentration.

Which of the following slope failures is least likely to cause casualties? a) creep b) rock slide c) rock avalanche d) debris flow e) rock fall

What is the main force involved in the stability of slopes? a) water pressure b) sunlight c) gravity d) radioactivity decay e) wind

Order of soil layers

Which of the following factors favors movement of a rock slide? a) a massive rock with no bedding or other through-going discontinuities b) a valley or other open space downslope from the rock slide c) solid rock with few preexisting joints or faults d) layers that are inclined opposite to the slope of the hill

Which of the following can we use to recognize prehistoric slope failures? a) sedimentary deposits b) orientation of beds and other geologic structures c) masses of rock fragments that are unusual for an area d) hummocky topography e) all of these

In general, warm, wet climates allow for fast formation of soils primarily because a) chemical weathering proceeds at rapid rates b) parent material found in warm, wet climates tends to allow it to break down faster than the types of parent material found in colder climates. c) physical weathering proceeds at rapid rates. d) there is less biological activity in warm, wet climates than elsewhere.

Which of the following is probably NOT important in assessing an area's potential for slope failure? a) comparing the geologic setting to adjacent areas that have or have not failed b) whether the material is loose sediment or solid bedrock c) recent changes in slope d) the orientation of layering and fractures e) all of these are important