Deck 16: Weathering,erosion,and Mass Wasting: Interactions Between the Climate and Plate Tectonic Systems

Question 1

What happens to the potassium (K)in feldspar during chemical weathering?

A)It dissolves in the water.
B)It becomes part of the clay mineral.
C)It evaporates.
D)It becomes concentrated in potassium metal deposits.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following promotes chemical weathering?

A)high altitude
B)low temperature
C)sparse vegetation
D)thick soil

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following minerals is least stable at Earth's surface?

A)hematite
B)olivine
C)pyroxene
D)quartz

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following chemical species is not produced by the chemical weathering of potassium feldspar (orthoclase)?

A)Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄ (kaolinite,a clay mineral)
B)H₂O (water)
C)K⁺ (potassium ion)
D)SiO₂ (dissolved silica)

Question 5

Which of the following minerals is most likely to form a clay mineral during weathering?

A)calcite
B)feldspar
C)iron pyroxene
D)quartz

Question 6

As a rock breaks into smaller pieces,the ratio of surface area to volume

A)decreases.
B)increases.
C)remains the same.
D)can either increase or decrease depending on the size of the pieces.

Question 7

Which of the following minerals,common in granite,is least affected by chemical weathering?

A)biotite
B)feldspar
C)magnetite
D)quartz

Question 8

Which of the following minerals will have the greatest chemical stability?

A)a mineral with high solubility and a high rate of dissolution
B)a mineral with high solubility and a low rate of dissolution
C)a mineral with low solubility and a high rate of dissolution
D)a mineral with low solubility and a low rate of dissolution

Question 9

In which of the following climates will chemical weathering be the most rapid?

A)cold and dry
B)cold and humid
C)hot and dry
D)hot and humid

Question 10

Solifluction is a type of

A)liquefaction.
B)creep.
C)mudflow.
D)earthflow.

Question 11

Which of the following acids is not an abundant acid in acid rain?

A)carbonic acid
B)hydrochloric acid
C)nitric acid
D)sulfuric acid

Question 12

Acids enhance chemical weathering.What is the most common natural acid on Earth's surface?

A)carbonic acid
B)hydrochloric acid
C)nitric acid
D)sulfuric acid

Question 13

Which of the following will decrease the rate of chemical weathering of a rock at Earth's surface?

A)increasing the amount of acid in the rainwater
B)decreasing the temperature
C)breaking the rock into smaller pieces
D)increasing the amount of surrounding soil

Question 14

Which of the following statements regarding carbon dioxide is true?

A)As carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases,chemical weathering decreases.
B)An increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cools the climate.
C)Chemical weathering of feldspar is not related to atmospheric carbon dioxide.
D)Chemical weathering reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about weathering is false?

A)Rocks of different compositions weather at different rates.
B)Heat and heavy rainfall increase the rate of chemical weathering.
C)The presence of soil slows down weathering of the underlying bedrock.
D)The longer a rock is exposed at the surface,the more weathered it becomes.

Question 16

Which of the following minerals is most stable at Earth's surface?

A)hematite
B)mica
C)olivine
D)pyroxene

Question 17

What is the general process by which rocks are broken down at Earth's surface?

A)deposition
B)erosion
C)lithification
D)weathering

Question 18

A mineral that undergoes hydration

A)changes iron from ferric to ferrous.
B)gains water.
C)dissolves.
D)weathers into a more stable phase.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Silicate weathering and volcanism both increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
B)Silicate weathering increases and volcanism decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
C)Silicate weathering decreases and volcanism increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
D)Silicate weathering and volcanism both decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 20

Which of the following is a form of chemical weathering?

A)dissolution
B)exfoliation
C)frost wedging
D)all of the above

Question 21

Which soil horizon consists primarily of slightly altered,weathered bedrock?

A)the A-horizon
B)the B-horizon
C)the C-horizon
D)none of the above

Question 22

Which of the following statements is false?

A)Mass movements occur when the force of gravity exceeds the strength of the slope materials.
B)Mass movements can be triggered by earthquakes and floods.
C)Materials can move down a slope very slowly or as a sudden,catastrophic,large movement.
D)Mass movements require wind or running water.

Question 23

Which of the following would be most likely to undergo liquefaction?

A)granite
B)talus slope
C)unconsolidated soil
D)water-saturated sand

Question 24

Which of the following is not an important factor in causing mass movements?

A)amount of water in materials
B)steepness and instability of slopes
C)nature of slope materials
D)temperature of slope materials

Question 25

What are ancient soils called?

A)andisols
B)histosols
C)paleosols
D)ultisols

Question 26

Organic matter in Earth's topsoil is called

A)humus.
B)leaf litter.
C)pedalfer.
D)regolith.

Question 27

Physical weathering is most effective at

A)high latitudes.
B)low latitudes.
C)gentle slopes.
D)steep slopes.

Question 28

What type of mass movement is a lahar?

A)debris avalanche
B)earthflow
C)mudflow
D)solifluction

Question 29

A hill consisting of loose,dry sand that slopes at the angle of repose and has no vegetation

A)is stable unless oversteepened by excavation.
B)may flow if it becomes saturated with water.
C)will be more stable if vegetation takes root on the hill.
D)is stable unless oversteepened by excavation,may flow if it becomes saturated with water,and will be more stable if vegetation takes root on the hill.

Question 30

What causes the deep red color of soils found in Georgia and other warm,humid regions?

A)clay minerals
B)feldspar
C)iron oxides
D)quartz

Question 31

Which of the following processes describes the general downhill movement of rock,soil,or unconsolidated materials under the influence of gravity?

A)debris sliding
B)mass wasting
C)surface tension
D)weathering

Question 32

Which of the following has the steepest angle of repose?

A)dry sand
B)water-saturated sand
C)damp sand
D)water-oversaturated sand

Question 33

The angle of repose does not depend on which of the following?

A)particle composition
B)particle shape
C)particle size
D)water content

Question 34

Which of the following processes is not an example of chemical weathering?

A)dissolution of calcite
B)breakdown of feldspar to form kaolinite
C)splitting of a rock along a fracture
D)rusting of a nail

Question 35

What determines the characteristics of a soil?

A)climate
B)type of bedrock
C)length of time the soil has had to develop
D)all of the above

Question 36

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Fine sand forms steeper slopes than coarse sand.
B)Angular pebbles form steeper slopes than coarse sand.
C)Water-saturated sand forms steeper slopes than dry sand.
D)Dry debris forms steeper slopes than damp debris.

Question 37

In a soil profile,organic matter is found

A)primarily in the A-horizon.
B)primarily in the B-horizon.
C)primarily in the C-horizon.
D)in the A-,B-,and C-horizons in approximately equal amounts.

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of physical weathering?

A)the dissolution of a rock by rainwater
B)the splitting of a rock by a tree root
C)the oxidation of iron silicates in a basalt
D)the reaction of feldspar to kaolinite

Question 39

Which of the following minerals is most susceptible to oxidation?

A)calcite
B)feldspar
C)pyroxene
D)quartz

Question 40

Which of the following forces is the dominant cause of mass movement?

A)gravity
B)seismic energy
C)tidal force
D)wind

Question 41

What is the difference between a rockslide and a rock avalanche?

A)In a rockslide,the rocks move more or less as a unit; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move independently like a fluid.
B)In a rockslide,the rocks move independently like a fluid; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move more or less as a unit.
C)A rockslide is faster than a rock avalanche.
D)A rockslide involves more debris than a rock avalanche.

Question 42

What is the difference between an earthflow and a debris flow?

A)Earthflows consist of consolidated rock; mudflows consist of unconsolidated material.
B)Earthflows travel faster than debris flows.
C)Earthflows consist of finer material than debris flows.
D)Earthflows contain more rock fragments than debris flows.

Question 43

Use the following to answer the question(s)below:
$\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline \text { Dominant } & \text { Nature of } & \text { Slow } & \text { Moderate } & \text { Fast } \\\text { material } & \text { motion } & (1 \mathrm{~cm} / \mathrm{yr}) & (1 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr}) & (5 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr})\\\hline\text { Rock } & \text { Flow } & a & b & c \\ \hline \text { Rock } & \text { Slide or fall } & d & e & f \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Flow } & g & h & i \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Slide or fall } & j & k & l\\\hline \end{array}$


-How would soil creep be classified in the table above?

A)g
B)h
C)j
D)k

Question 44

In what class of mass movement does the material move as if it were a fluid?

A)creeps
B)falls
C)flows
D)slides

Question 45

Telephone poles that lean slightly downhill are a likely result of which of the following processes?

A)creep
B)debris slide
C)earthflow
D)rock avalanche

Question 46

Use the following to answer the question(s)below:
$\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline \text { Dominant } & \text { Nature of } & \text { Slow } & \text { Moderate } & \text { Fast } \\\text { material } & \text { motion } & (1 \mathrm{~cm} / \mathrm{yr}) & (1 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr}) & (5 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr})\\\hline\text { Rock } & \text { Flow } & a & b & c \\ \hline \text { Rock } & \text { Slide or fall } & d & e & f \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Flow } & g & h & i \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Slide or fall } & j & k & l\\\hline \end{array}$


-How would a slump be classified in the table above?

A)a
B)d
C)g
D)j

Question 47

The accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff is called

A)a dune.
B)an alluvial fan.
C)soil creep.
D)talus.

Question 48

Which of the following types of mass movement has the greatest air content?

A)debris flow
B)rock avalanche
C)rockslide
D)slump

Question 49

Which of the following slopes of unconsolidated material will be the least stable?

A)a slope less than the angle of repose
B)a slope equal to the angle of repose
C)a slope greater than the angle of repose
D)All of the above will be equally stable.

Question 50

A paper clip can float on the surface of a liquid because the molecules

A)in the interior of the liquid have a net inward attraction.
B)in the interior of the liquid have a net outward attraction.
C)at the surface of the liquid have a net inward attraction.
D)at the surface of the liquid have a net outward attraction.

Question 51

What is the angle of repose of dry,coarse sand?

A)approximately 20°
B)approximately 40°
C)approximately 60°
D)approximately 80°

Question 52

Stripping soil of vegetation by burning or deforestation will _____ the likelihood of mass movements.

A)greatly decrease
B)decrease
C)not affect
D)increase

Question 53

Which of the following slopes is least stable?

A)a slope where the sedimentary layers dip parallel to the slope
B)a slope where the sedimentary layers are horizontal
C)a slope where the sedimentary layers dip perpendicular to the slope
D)All of these slopes have the same stability.

Question 54

Which of the following statements about mudflows is false?

A)Mudflows tend to move slower than debris flows.
B)Mudflows are most common in semiarid regions.
C)Mudflows contain large amounts of water.
D)Mudflows can carry large boulders.

Question 55

The property by which a paper clip can float on the surface of a liquid is called

A)cohesion.
B)liquefaction.
C)solifluction.
D)surface tension.

Question 56

Which of the following processes was the major reason for the occurrence of so many landslides during the 1964 Anchorage,Alaska,earthquake?

A)There was motion along the fault oversteepened slopes.
B)Water-saturated sandy layers became liquefied during the earthquake.
C)The earthquake tilted the rock layers downhill.
D)The earthquake caused water to accumulate in the soil.

Question 57

A slow slide of unconsolidated material that travels as a unit is called

A)a debris flow.
B)a rockslide.
C)a slump.
D)soil creep.

Question 58

Which of the following types of mass movements could a person easily out-walk?

A)debris avalanche
B)earth flow
C)slump
D)soil creep

Question 59

Use the following to answer the question(s)below:
$\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline \text { Dominant } & \text { Nature of } & \text { Slow } & \text { Moderate } & \text { Fast } \\\text { material } & \text { motion } & (1 \mathrm{~cm} / \mathrm{yr}) & (1 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr}) & (5 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hr})\\\hline\text { Rock } & \text { Flow } & a & b & c \\ \hline \text { Rock } & \text { Slide or fall } & d & e & f \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Flow } & g & h & i \\\hline \text { Unconsolidated } & \text { Slide or fall } & j & k & l\\\hline \end{array}$


-How would a mudflow be classified in the table above?

A)a
B)b
C)g
D)h

Question 60

Which of the following situations is most likely to undergo mass wasting?

A)a dry,moderate slope of unconsolidated material
B)a wet,moderate slope of unconsolidated material
C)a dry,steep slope of unconsolidated material
D)a wet,steep slope of unconsolidated material

Question 61

One of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is

A)hydrolysis.
B)hydration.
C)frost wedging.
D)oxidation.

Question 62

Why are debris avalanches and mudflows common on volcanic slopes?

A)because there is abundant unconsolidated volcanic ash
B)because earthquakes associated with volcanic eruptions trigger mass movements
C)because volcanic eruptions trigger melting of ice and snow
D)all of the above

Question 63

Which of the following was not a contributing factor in the 1925 Gros Ventre slide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming?

A)undercutting of the slope by construction activities
B)slippery bedding planes in a shale unit
C)the orientation of the sedimentary layers with respect to the slope
D)All of these were contributing factors.

Question 64

Chemical stability is

A)a measure of a substance's tendency to remain chemically inert.
B)similar to hardness.
C)unaffected by environment.
D)a measure of a molecule's tendency to react.

Question 65

Which of the following processes only occurs in permafrost regions?

A)landsliding
B)liquefaction
C)soil creep
D)solifluction

Question 66

Lateral and vertical movements within a developing soil are called

A)translations.
B)transmutations.
C)transformations.
D)translocations.

Question 67

Under which of the following rock properties will the weathering rate be the slowest?

A)highly soluble minerals and massive rock
B)moderately soluble minerals and highly fractured rock
C)insoluble minerals and massive rock
D)insoluble minerals and thinly bedded rock

Question 68

Which of the following may be triggered by submarine slides?

A)earthquakes
B)liquefaction
C)tsunamis
D)all of the above

Question 69

The two main processes that occur within a developing soil are called ______ and ______.

A)translations; transport
B)transmutations; transference
C)transformations; transmutations
D)transformations; translocations

Question 70

Why is pyroxene more susceptible to oxidation than either feldspar or quartz?

A)because it contains less silica
B)because it contains the most ferrous iron
C)because it is a mafic mineral
D)because it is more commonly exposed to oxygen

Question 71

What triggered the mass movement?

A)translations
B)transmutations
C)transformations
D)translocations

Question 72

Mass movements would least likely occur in which of the following settings?

A)ocean-continent convergence zones
B)intraplate settings
C)divergent plate boundaries
D)ocean-ocean convergence zones

Question 73

Which of the following weathering processes is the result of water freezing?

A)hydration
B)frost wedging
C)oxidation
D)hydrolysis

Question 74

Which of the following rocks would be most affected by chemical weathering?

A)granite
B)shale
C)basalt
D)marble

Question 75

How do underground bacteria promote weathering of minerals?

A)They dissolve minerals directly.
B)They physically break up the minerals.
C)They produce organic acids that dissolve the minerals.
D)They carry the minerals up to the surface.

Question 76

Underground bacteria speed up weathering by __________ in the soil.

A)decreasing carbon dioxide
B)absorbing water
C)releasing carbon dioxide by respiration
D)producing hydrochloric acid

Question 77

Which of the following statements best describes a slump?

A)slow downhill movement of unconsolidated material moving as a unit
B)slow downhill movement of unconsolidated material moving like a fluid
C)rapid downhill movement of unconsolidated material moving as a unit
D)rapid downhill movement of unconsolidated material moving like a fluid

Question 78

In which of the following climates will chemical weathering be the slowest?

A)cold and dry
B)cold and humid
C)hot and dry
D)hot and humid

Question 79

Which of the following major landslides was caused,in part,by human activities?

A)the 1925 Gros Ventre landslide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming
B)the 1963 Vaiont landslide in the Italian Alps
C)the 1983 Spanish Fork Canyon landslide,Utah
D)the Nevado Huascarán ice-debris avalanche,Peruvian Andes

Question 80

Avalanches can reach speeds as high as

A)a few cm/hr.
B)a few m/hr.
C)a few km/hr.
D)hundreds of km/hr.