Deck 12: Shaping Earths Surface: Streams, Coastlines, and Wind

Question 1

Geologic processes powered by wind are called ___ processes.

A) eolian
B) alluvial
C) fluvial

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Landscapes result from the interaction between which two geosystems?

A) climate and geodynamo
B) climate and plate tectonic
C) geodynamo and plate tectonic

Answer 2

B

Question 3

On time scales of hundreds of millions of years, which of the following statements about landscape evolution is true?

A) Climatic variations are more important than tectonic uplift.
B) Tectonic uplift is more important than climatic variations.
C) Climatic variations and tectonic uplift are equally important.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What is the cause of the hazard associated with the "Skeleton Coast"?

A) moving shorelines
B) eroding cliffs
C) rip currents
D) coral reefs

Question 5

Most recorded shipwrecks occur within sight of a coastline.

Question 6

The factor that dictates whether water in a stream channel undergoes turbulent or laminar flow is _________.

A) the velocity of the water
B) the geometry of the stream channel
C) the viscosity of the water
D) all of the above

Question 7

-In the map of Earth, where do the trade winds occur?

A) in the regions labeled A
B) in the regions labeled B
C) in the regions labeled C
D) in the regions labeled A, B, and C

Question 8

In which of the following flow patterns do streamlines run parallel to one another with no mixing between layers?

A) turbulent flow
B) laminar flow
C) both turbulent and laminar flow

Question 9

In total, about how much dissolved matter is delivered annually to the ocean by river transport?

A) 2-4 million tons
B) 20-40 million tons
C) 200-400 million tons
D) 2-4 billion tons

Question 10

What term is used to indicate a geologic process powered by wind?

A) Eolian
B) Fluvial
C) Lacustrine
D) Barometric

Question 11

In geology, the term stream is applied to any body of water flowing over the surface, regardless of the size of that body of water.

Question 12

The rocky cliffs that characterize the Oregon coast are the result of tectonic subsidence.

Question 13

What type of flow can transport fine-grained clay particles?

A) laminar flow
B) turbulent flow
C) both laminar and turbulent flow

Question 14

What type of transport mechanism forms ripples and dunes composed of sand grains?

A) wind
B) streams
C) streams and wind

Question 15

Which of the following terms describes the speed at which suspended particles become part of a stream bed?

A) capacity
B) discharge
C) settling velocity

Question 16

The steeper, downwind side of a sand dune is called a

A) sand drift.
B) ventifact.
C) slip face.

Question 17

The slope of the upwind side of a sand dune is ___ the angle of repose.

A) greater than
B) equal to
C) less than

Question 18

-In the map of a stream, the arrow is pointing to a(n) ____________.

A) natural levee
B) oxbow lake
C) point bar
D) sand dune

Question 19

-What type of drainage pattern is depicted in the map?

A) dendritic
B) radial
C) rectangular
D) trellis

Question 20

Stream valleys are made up of ___________ deposits.

A) point bar sand
B) floodplain
C) alluvial gravel
D) dune migration

Question 21

Potholes in river bottom bedrock form by

A) cascading water from a waterfall that wears away the rock.
B) the grinding action of a pebble or cobble in a swirling eddy.
C) the impact of a large rock moved by a strong current that makes a crater.

Question 22

Which of the following cities is built on a floodplain?

A) New York
B) San Francisco
C) St. Louis

Question 23

What is the probability of a 50-year flood occurring next year along the Skykomish River in Washington State?

A) 2%
B) 10%
C) 50%

Question 24

What type of drainage would you expect to observe in the Valley and Ridge province of the southern Appalachians?

A) radial drainage
B) trellis drainage
C) dendritic drainage

Question 25

Which of the following types of streams has many channels?

A) braided streams
B) meandering streams
C) both braided and meandering streams

Question 26

The velocity of a river multiplied by the cross-sectional area of the river channel yields the river's

A) capacity.
B) discharge.
C) recurrence interval.

Question 27

Analysis of sediment transport over the entire United States provides evidence that global climate change is responsible for a(n) ___ in streamflow.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) erratic and unpredictable variation

Question 28

Alluvial fans form

A) where rivers meet an ocean basin.
B) at a mountain front, where rivers meet a sudden topographic change.
C) along the outside bank of a meander.

Question 29

Stream power is not a function of which of the following?

A) river discharge
B) river slope
C) sediment volume

Question 30

Which of the following statements about stream power is true?

A) Increasing stream power makes the streambed less susceptible to erosion.
B) Increasing stream power makes the streambed more susceptible to erosion.
C) Increasing stream power does not change the streambed's susceptibility to erosion.

Question 31

Potholes in river bottom bedrock form by

A) cascading water from a waterfall that wears away the rock.
B) the grinding action of a pebble or cobble in a swirling eddy.
C) the impact of a large rock moved by a strong current that makes a crater.

Question 32

The muddy or sandy areas that are exposed during low tide but are flooded at high tide are called

A) estuaries.
B) tidal flats.
C) surf zones.

Question 33

Which of the following terms describes the region of breaking waves near the shoreline?

A) surf zone
B) swash zone
C) tidal flat

Question 34

Large waves caused by major storms can move sand on the ocean bottom at depths up to

A) 0.5 meters.
B) 5 meters.
C) 50 meters.

Question 35

Hurricanes form over tropical parts of the Earth's oceans where sea-surface temperatures are equal to or exceed

A) 18°C.
B) 50°C.
C) 26°C.

Question 36

The phenomenon associated with Hurricane Katrina that resulted in the most catastrophic damage in New Orleans was the

A) storm surge.
B) high winds.
C) flood tide.

Question 37

Which stream conditions favor the formation of a braided stream channel?

A) a high sediment load and consistent discharge
B) a low sediment load and consistent discharge
C) a high sediment load and variable discharge
D) a low sediment load and variable discharge

Question 38

Alluvial fans characteristically form in which of the geologic environments listed below.

A) A coastal plain delta
B) A low gradient meandering stream
C) A sharply defined mountain front
D) An advancing glacial terminus

Question 39

-The area labeled "X" is called the ______________.

A) backshore
B) foreshore
C) surf zone
D) swash zone

Question 40

-The area labeled "Y" is called the ______________.

A) backshore
B) foreshore
C) surf zone
D) swash zone

Question 41

-Together, the areas labeled "X" and "Y" are called the ______________.

A) backshore
B) foreshore
C) surf zone
D) swash zone

Question 42

The best way to preserve natural beach environments is to ___________.

A) build groins
B) build levee systems
C) truck in sand
D) leave it alone

Question 43

Use the schematic topographic profile of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor from New England to the mid-ocean ridge below to answer the following:

-The area labeled "W" is the __________.

A) abyssal plain
B) continental rise
C) continental shelf
D) continental slope

Question 44

Use the schematic topographic profile of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor from New England to the mid-ocean ridge below to answer the following:

-The area labeled "X" is the __________.

A) abyssal plain
B) continental rise
C) continental shelf
D) continental slope

Question 45

Use the schematic topographic profile of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor from New England to the mid-ocean ridge below to answer the following:

-The area labeled "Y" is the __________.

A) abyssal plain
B) continental rise
C) continental shelf
D) continental slope

Question 46

Use the schematic topographic profile of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor from New England to the mid-ocean ridge below to answer the following:

-The area labeled "Z" is the __________.

A) abyssal plain
B) continental rise
C) continental shelf
D) continental slope

Question 47

Which of the following parts of a beach is the farthest inland?

A) the foreshore
B) the dune belt
C) the backshore
D) the surf zone

Question 48

Which of the following is not a shoreline depositional landform?

A) spit
B) barrier island
C) sand bar
D) sea stack

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Wind is a more effective erosion agent in wet climates.
B) Wind is a more effective erosion agent in dry climates.
C) Wind is an equally effective erosion agent in wet and dry climates.

Question 50

What is the geologic term for the distinctive, dark-brown coating that forms on rock surfaces in the desert?

A) desert varnish
B) loess
C) desert pavement

Question 51

Which of the following would you least expect to find in a desert?

A) playa lakes
B) rounded, soil-covered hills
C) steep river valleys and gorges

Question 52

Where would you expect to find evaporite sediments in a desert environment?

A) playa lake
B) alluvial fan
C) dune field

Question 53

Which of the following is not an area where deserts typically occur?

A) regions of sinking air masses
B) the mid-northern latitudes around 30° N latitude
C) the mid-southern latitudes around 30° S latitude
D) regions immediately upwind of large coastal mountains

Question 54

Approximately what percentage of Earth's deserts are covered by sand?

A) 5%
B) 20%
C) 50%
D) 80%

Question 55

The northern part of the Sahara Desert is currently receding southward.

Question 56

In desert environments physical weathering is predominant over chemical weathering.

Question 57

In deserts, stream flow does much erosional work.