Deck 41: Landforms of the Fluvial System

Question 1

The shape of the alluvial fan most closely resembles:

A) a circular mound
B) a long ridge
C) an apron
D) a long channel
E) none of these

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Ephemeral streams flow year round.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Channels on alluvial fans never change courses.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The coarsest sediment deposited on an alluvial fan is found:

A) near the margins of the fan
B) in between the margins and the apex of the fan
C) at the apex of the fan
D) None of the above. Uniform sediment size is found throughout

Question 5

In meandering rivers, erosion occurs:

A) on the point bar
B) on the outer parts of the bend
C) in the oxbow lake
D) all of these

Question 6

How do braided streams form?

A) Rivers meet from different directions, causing streams to crisscross
B) Varying speeds of water flow produces multiple braids of differing velocities
C) Periodic flooding causes receding water to form into multiple braids
D) Formation of midstream bars diverts the flow of water around its bar

Question 7

Floodplains form when:

A) sediment is eroded from the bluffs and deposited on the margins of the river
B) point bars merge
C) the river floods and deposits sediment on its margins
D) the water dries and sediment is deposited in the channel

Question 8

Which of the following will lead to the development of stream terraces?

A) tectonic uplift which steepens channels
B) decreased sediment yield into the stream
C) a drop in base level on tributaries of a larger stream
D) all of the above

Question 9

Deltas commonly form where streams empty into larger bodies of water such as lakes and oceans.

Question 10

Which process influences the shape or form of a delta?

A) waves
B) tides
C) currents
D) all of these

Question 11

The shape or form of the delta is not influenced by stream discharge.

Question 12

When alluvial fans coalesce along a mountain front obscuring the cone shape, a(n) _____ forms.

A) bajada or alluvial apron
B) alluvial skirt
C) alluvial flow
D) convex hill sleeve

Question 13

Where on a meander is erosion the greatest?

A) on the inside
B) on the outside
C) on the upstream side
D) on the downstream side

Question 14

What kind of lake forms when a meander is cut off?

A) meander lake
B) kettle lake
C) oxbow lake
D) cut-off lake

Question 15

The following statement best describes the formation of natural levees.

A) During large floods, water covers much of the floodplain. As water spills out of the channel, coarse deposits are deposited closest to the channel banks
B) Biological organisms, such as beavers, build out sediments for hunting, storing, and nesting.
C) The outer parts of meandering streams leave deposits along the banks as they whip around the bend.
D) All levees are man made.

Question 16

What are some of the reasons humans build on floodplains?

A) fertile soils
B) flat land
C) access to nearby water
D) all of the above

Question 17

The difference between an incised delta and a fill terrace is:

A) In a fill terrace, incision into the floodplain occurs first, followed by aggrading and filling of the valley
B) Incised terraces form when a stream cuts through and leaves parts of its former floodplain as benches above the modern floodplain
C) Incised terraces aggrade and fills its valleys with alluvium and then incises into the valley
D) Fill terraces form when a stream cuts through and leaves parts of its former floodplain as benches above the modern floodplain

Question 18

The geographic location displaying a classic triangular-shaped delta is:

A) Mississippi River
B) Nile Delta
C) Niger Delta
D) Strath Delta

Question 19

Flood deposits made up of the coarsest material forms a(n) ___along the flooded river.

A) oxbow ridge
B) bluff
C) levee
D) sand bar