Practice Exam 3 Questions – Flashcards

1) Which of the following is incorrectly matched? A) endogenic — internal processes B) exogenic — external processes C) radioactive decay heat — exogenic energy source D) weathering — exogenic breaking and dissolving the crust

2) When geologists conclude that the Grand Canyon sequence of rocks was formed through hundreds of millions of years of deposition, mountain building, and erosion, they are basing this conclusion on the principle of ________ which states that ________. A) catastrophism; most rock formations were created as a result of supernatural processes B) catastrophism; a single, large flood was responsible for the creation of the rock sequence C) uniformitarianism; all geologic processes take immense amounts of time to occur and always occur at the same rate D) uniformitarianism; the geologic processes that operated in the past are the same as those that operate today, and they occurred in accordance with the same laws of nature that are operating today

3) Earth's interior is layered because... A) centrifugal force separated out the materials based on weight as the Earth solidified. B) materials became sorted based on density as the Earth solidified. C) materials became sorted based on electromagnetic fields as the Earth solidified.

4) Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in Earth, from the surface to the center? A) crust, inner core, mantle, outer core B) inner core, outer core, mantle, crust C) mantle, crust, inner core, outer core D) crust, mantle, outer core, inner core

5) The density of material below the Moho is ________ that above it. A) greater than B) less than C) the same as

6) On average, the thickness of oceanic crust is ________ that of continental crust. A) greater than B) less than C) the same as

7) A rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as A) sedimentary. B) metamorphic. C) igneous. D) ancient.

8) The continuous alteration of Earth materials from one rock type to another is known as the A) geologic cycle. B) rock cycle. C) hydrologic cycle. D) tectonic cycle.

9) Limestone is a type of ________ rock that forms when ________. A) igneous; magma cools B) igneous; lava cools C) sedimentary; calcium carbonate precipitates, or organic material containing calcium carbonate accumulates in a water environment D) sedimentary; broken fragments of rock are deposited in a water environment and are then cemented together.

10) Vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as A) relief. B) an order of relief. C) topography. D) crust.

11) The measurement of land elevation relative to sea level is known as A) bathymetry. B) hypsometry. C) topography. D) geodesy.

12) The six types of topographic regions are defined based on A) arbitrary elevation and other descriptive criteria in common use. B) complex statistical analyses of surface relief variation across the surface of Earth. C) local criteria that have never been universally recognized. D) logarithmic relationships applied to elevation.

13) A continental craton is best described as A) the product of active folding and faulting. B) the surface accumulation of molten rock. C) the inactive remains of ancient tectonic activity. D) a landform undergoing constant tectonic activity.

14) If you wanted to avoid earthquakes, which of the following areas would be the safest to live? A) convergent plate boundary B) divergent plate boundary C) island arc along a subduction zone D) shield

15) Which of the following properly describes the formation of continental crust? A) All continental crust was formed millions of years ago. There is no active continental crust being formed. B) The formation of continental crust is independent of the formation of oceanic crust, involving only volcanism over the land masses. C) The formation of continental crust involves the entire sequence of seafloor spreading, subduction, remelting of oceanic crust, and subsequent rise of the remelted material. D) New continental crust is formed essentially in the same many as oceanic crust — from upwelling at mid-continental ridges.

16) When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit, displacement occurs in a process known as A) folding. B) faulting. C) broad warping. D) stressing.

17) Orogenesis refers to A) the beginning of extensive faulting. B) a general term for a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust. C) a general thinning of the crust. D) the formation of mountains without faulting, folding, or the capture of migrating terranes.

18) An earthquake is best described as A) the point within the Earth where seismic waves originate. B) the sharp release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. C) the amount of ground displacement along a fault. D) the amount of stress rocks along plate boundaries experience.

19) The science that specifically studies the origin, evolution, form, and spatial distribution of landforms is A) geology. B) geography. C) geomorphology. D) environmental chemistry.

20) The dynamic equilibrium model refers to A) a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation by weathering and erosion in a given landscape. B) a theory involving the cyclic or evolutionary development of a landscape. C) a sequential development of landforms. D) an important concept first stated by William Morris Davis.

21) Which of the following is not a denudation process? A) weathering B) erosion C) orogeny D) mass movement

22) Which of the following is not a class of mass movement? A) fall B) slide C) slip D) flow E) creep

23) Inclined surfaces that form the boundaries of landforms are known as A) catchment. B) slopes. C) free face. D) regolith.

24) The process that breaks down rock at the Earth's surface through disintegration of rocks into mineral particles or dissolving it into water is known as A) erosion. B) mass movement. C) landmass denudation. D) weathering.

25) Which of the following is not a type of physical weathering process? A) exfoliation B) hydrolysis C) salt crystal growth D) frost wedging

26) Factors influencing the weathering process include A) the climate of an area. B) rock composition and structure. C) the amount of vegetation in an area. D) rock composition and structure, climate, and vegetation. E) only the climate of an area and rock composition.

27) Exfoliation and pressure-release jointing are examples of ________ weathering processes. A) chemical B) physical C) biological D) both biological and physical

28) Karst topography is formed primarily by A) carbonation and solution. B) mass wasting processes. C) oxidation and hydrolysis. D) exfoliation and hydration.

29) Processes that are related expressly to streams and rivers are termed A) fluvial. B) geomorphic. C) lemnetic. D) lotic.

30) A central peak, such as a volcanic mountain, generally produces a ________ drainage pattern. A) radial B) trellis C) parallel D) annular

31) The area of land from which all water in it drains into the same place is known as a(n) A) interfluve. B) watershed. C) drainage divide. D) fluvial units.

32) Drainage density refers to A) the thickness of the water in the stream. B) the number of channels in an area. C) a measure determined by dividing the length of all the the channels by the area of its drainage basin. D) the arrangement of channels in a given area.

33) The drop in stream elevation per unit distance is known as A) discharge. B) base level. C) gradient. D) aspect.

34) Which of the following is not factored when considering discharge? A) channel length B) channel width C) channel depth D) velocity

35) Stream transport involves all of the following except A) saltation. B) bed load. C) traction. D) sheet flow.

36) Excess sediment may result in which of the following channel patterns? A) V-shaped valleys B) braided stream C) meandering stream D) straight, steep-walled channels

37) Channels with gradual slopes often develop a sinuous form called a ________ pattern. A) braided stream B) anabranching C) meandering stream

38) Alluvial fans are formed as flowing water ________ as it leaves a constricted channel. A) gains velocity B) changes direction C) down cuts D) loses velocity

39) An earthquake, a submarine landslide, or an eruption of an undersea volcano is capable of producing a A) tsunami. B) tidal wave. C) slow-moving giant swell. D) wave in the open ocean of great height.

40) Which of the following is not an example of a depositional coastal landform? A) wave-built terrace B) barrier spit C) bay barrier D) wave-cut platform

41) Coral formations... A) tend to occur poleward of 30° latitude. B) survive in a broad ecological range because they are tolerant of temperature, salinity, and depth variation. C) require water that is high in sediment concentration. D) are made of animals living symbiotically with simple algae.

The concept of "orders of relief" refers to.. a) the ordering of surface features based on HEIGHT b)the ordering of surface features based on THEIR TIME OF ORIGIN c)the classification of landscapes based on scale d) the rate at which stressed is relieved in the crust

The nucleus of old crystalline rock in each of the principal continental masses is called a a)basalt mass b)continental shield, or craton c)mountain mass d)composite zone

Strain, the amount of deformation undergone by an object, is expressed in rocks by a)metamorphism b)breaking and removal c)folding or faulting d)bearing

When rock is broken down and disintegrated in the presence of water and with chemical alterations to the rock, the process in operation is a)physical weathering b)chemical weathering c)hydrolysis d)carbonation

When pressure is removed from overlying rock, the pressure of deep burial is relieved, initiating pressure-release jointing. The joints then separate into curved slabs. This is known as a)exfoliation b)salt crystal growth c)frost wedging d)spheroidal weathering

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of a)higher rainfall and temperatures b)lower rainfall and temp c)higher rainfall but lower temps d)lower rainfall but higher temps

Chemical weathering processes are particularly effective on limestone landscapes, forming a)karst topography b)hydrolysis plains c)pressure-release jointing d)exfoliation domes and arch-like forms

A slow persistant mass movement of surface soil is called a)a debris avalanche b)soil creep c)a soil slide d)a rockfall

Which the following human activities can contribute to mass movement? a)a roadcut b)surface mining c)residential and commercial development d)any human disturbance of a slope, including readjust, surface mining and development

Which of the following can lead to the slope failure that causes mass movement? a)saturation from rainfall b)over steepening of the slope c)earthquakes d)volcanic eruptions e)saturation, over steepening of slopes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Of the world's largest rivers, which has the greatest discharge? a) Zaire (Congo) river b) amazon river c) missouri-ohio-mississippi river system d)chang chiang (yangatze) of asia

The area of land from which all water in it drains into the same place is known as a(n) a)interfluve b)watershed c)drainage d)fluvial units

Stream drainage patterns are determined by which of the following? a)regional steepness and relief b)variations in rock resistance c)climate d)climate, regional steepness and relief and variations in rock resistance

The drop in stream elevation per unit distance is known as a)discharge b)base level c)gradient d)aspect

*which of the following is true about seawater? a)seawater is pure H2O b)seawater is a solution c)the chemical composition of seawater is negligible d)the salinity of seawater is negligible

*high tides are known as ______ where as low tides are known as ______ a)flood tides; ebb tides b)ebb tides; flood tides c)spring tides; neap tides d)neap tides; spring tides

*Which of the following is not correct regarding tides? a)they are produced solely by the gravitational pull of the sun b)they are complex twice daily oscillations in sea level c)they are influenced by the size, depth, and topography of ocean basins d)they are influenced by shoreline configuration and latitude

*A(n) _________ is a meander that becomes isolated from the rest of the river a)oxbow lake b)undercut bank c)point bar d)cutoff

*Cone-shaped deposits of sediment often found at mouth of canyons in arid and semiarid climates are called a)deposition b)deltas c)alluvial fans d)clastics

which of the following lists the processes in the correct sequence as to their occurrence in nature? a)deposition, erosion, transport, weathering b)weathering, erosion, deposition, transport c)weathering, deposition, erosion, transport d)weathering, erosion, transport, deposition

*the sediment load that travels in solution is a)bed load b)suspended load c)dissolved load d)flow load

*which of the following is not an example of a depositional coastal landform? a)wave-built terrace b)barrier spit c)bay barrier d)wave-cut platform

T/F the geological time scale uses EQUAL intervals for dividing the earth's long history in a series of eons, eras, periods and epochs

T/F the inner core of earth is liquid iron, surrounded by a solid iron outer core

T/F the upper mantle is rigid, whereas the aesthenosphere is plastic-like

T/F the crust is thickest under mountains and thinnest under the oceans

T/F the principle of isostasy refers to the vertical movement of earth's crust in response to loading and unloading of weight, such as ice or sediment

T/F the rock cycle is fueled both by the hydrologic cycle and the tectonic cycle

T/F new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges

T/F earthquakes and volcanic occurrences do not correlate well with crustal plate boundaries

T/F convergent plate boundaries occur in areas of seafloor spreading

T/F the continents of the words were once connected, forming a supercontinent called pangea

T/F the arrangement of continents is permanent with only minor changes wrought by crustal movement (e.g. earthquakes)

T/F a mineral can be either organic or inorganic

T/F the earth's interior composition has been inferred by the use of seismic waves

T/F the three types of rocks are igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary

the deepest places in the ocean are those in which rifting occurs

The Andes Mountains

pacific islands

The Himalayas