Deck 12: Land-Forms Made by Running Water

Question 1

The figure below illustrates a __________ stream, which has a low-gradient and sand bars along the banks.

A)meandering
B)braided
C)anastomosing
D)straight
E)oxbow lake

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A stream is said to be undergoing __________ when the stream channel's altitude is raised by continued deposition of bed load. A_incisation
B aggradation
C gradation
D degradation

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following mechanisms are responsible for generating erosional landforms?

A)flowing water
B)earthquake activity
C)lava flows
D)all of these
E)none of these

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The steepness of a stream channel can also be called the __________.

A)discharge
B)load
C)percolation
D)deposition
E)gradient

Question 5

In parts of the Great Plains region of North America, where clay is exposed at the surface, badlands form as a result of __________.

A)strong soil development
B)rapid plant growth
C)strong bedrock
D)rapid erosion rates

Question 6

Landforms generated by water flowing across the surface of the Earth are described as:

A)meandering
B)fluvial
C)anastomosing
D)tectonic
E)alluvial

Question 7

Sediment that is moved along the bottom of a stream is known as __________.

A)suspended load
B)dissolved load
C)bed load
D)clay
E)sand

Question 8

The figure below shows a stream with a high __________.

A)bed load
B)suspended load
C)saltated load
D)floodplain
E)levee

Question 9

Which of the following sediment loads do streams have the most difficulty moving?

A)suspended load
B)virtual load
C)dissolved load
D)bed load

Question 10

Which of the following mechanisms is responsible for generating fluvial landforms?

A)wave action along a shoreline
B)flowing water in stream
C)strong ocean currents
D)glacial ice calving into the ocean

Question 11

When streams are just able to move the amount of sediment that they receive, they are said to be __________.

A)incising
B)graded
C)aggrading
D)dry

Question 12

A __________ is the flat, low-lying area adjacent to a stream channel that receives overbank flow.

A)flood
B)floodplain
C)oxbow lake
D)levee
E)zone of aeration

Question 13

Which of the following fluvial processes leads to the formation of potholes?

A)aggradation
B)silt depositon
C)abrasion
D)dissolution

Question 14

In the figure below, the __________stream is common in areas of glaciers.

A)meandering
B)braided
C)anastomosing
D)straight
E)oxbow lake

Question 15

Any recently deposited sediment is known as __________.

A)delta
B)oxbow lake
C)alluvium
D)headwater
E)alluvial fans

Question 16

A __________ stream has a low gradient, multiple threads, and a variable range of sediment loads.

A)straight
B)meandering
C)braided
D)oxbow
E)none of the above

Question 17

Characteristic features of __________ include cut banks and point bars.

A)meandering streams
B)aggrading streams
C)braided streams
D)straight streams

Question 18

The development of natural landscapes is best explained by which of the following choices?

A)Landscape uplift is an ongoing process to which erosional processes are constantly adjusting.
B)Landscape uplift occurs slowly due to plate tectonic processes while erosional processes work much more rapidly.
C)Mountains are rapidly built by plate tectonic processes, then slowly worn down by erosion.
D)There is no known relationship between landscape uplift and erosional processes.

Question 19

Which of the following stream conditions would be most conducive to the formation of a waterfall?

A)meandering stream
B)dry stream
C)ungraded stream
D)graded stream

Question 20

A __________ is an excellent example of a fluvial erosional landform.

A)volcano
B)canyon
C)river delta
D)fault scarp

Question 21

Which of the following factors influence soil erosion?

A)particle size
B)plant roots
C)hillslope angle
D)all of these
E)none of these

Question 22

A stream's capacity may decrease as a result of which of the following factors?

A)decreasing the amount of solid debris without increasing stream discharge
B)decreasing the slope of the stream bed
C)increasing the discharge of the stream
D)increasing both the amount of debris and the stream discharge

Question 23

Which of the following is smallest in size?

A)Plateau
B)Mesa
C)Butte
D)They are all the same size

Question 24

Potholes form in a stream bed as a result of this process:

A)dissolution
B)meteorite impacts
C)deposition
D)abrasion

Question 25

Which one of the following fluvial landforms is depositional in nature?

A)canyon
B)gorge
C)valley
D)delta

Question 26

William Morris Davis is noted for describing landscape evolution through a well-defined process called:

A)plate tectonics
B)continental drift
C)the geographic cycle
D)biologic evolution

Question 27

When sediment is deposited in a stream bed by the process of flowing water, it is described as __________.

A)colluvium
B)alluvium
C)an alluvial terrace
D)precipitation

Question 28

A gently sloping, conical accumulation of alluvium deposited by a stream emerging from a rock gorge or rock notch found in desert basin and range area is known as a:

A)playas
B)alluvial fans
C)badlands
D)mesas

Question 29

Alluvial terraces are __________ that form along the edges of the stream valley bottom and above the modern stream bank:

A)depressions
B)flat surfaces
C)mountains
D)gravel bars

Question 30

What advantage do alluvial terraces have over floodplains for human settlement?

A)alluvial terraces are flat when compared to floodplains
B)floodplains tend to get covered with water when streams overbank and this is not the case for alluvial terraces
C)alluvial terraces are located near the stream bank, making obtaining water much easier
D)alluvial terraces are commonly found near the coast while floodplains are more common in steep, mountainous terrain

Question 31

A crescent-shaped lake representing the abandoned channel left by the cutoff of a meander is called a(an):

A)cutoff
B)meander lake
C)oxbow lake
D)cut bank

Question 32

A stream will likely begin aggrading sediment along its bed when:

A)the flow remains constant while the sediment supply decreases
B)the flow and the sediment supply increase proportionately
C)the flow increases, while the sediment supply decreases
D)the flow decreases, while the sediment supply remains constant

Question 33

The jumping of sediment grains along the stream bed is known as bed load.

Question 34

The Mississippi River is a good example of a braided stream.

Question 35

__________ are built by streams carrying heavy loads of coarse rock waste from an arid mountain or upland region.

A)Alluvial fans
B)Point bars
C)Alluvial terraces
D)Waterfalls

Question 36

Rapid tectonic uplift along a low-gradient, winding stream can lead to the formation of __________.

A)an estuary
B)an oxbow lake
C)a delta
D)entrenched meanders

Question 37

A delta is a deposit that forms when a stream enters a standing body of water.

Question 38

__________ are places you would expect to find depositional landforms:

A)Mountain peaks
B)Canyon mouths
C)Canyon Rims
D)Regions composed of competent bedrock

Question 39

__________is/are the most difficult sediment loads for a stream to move?

A)Silt
B)Sand
C)Cobbles
D)Boulders
E)all of these are equal

Question 40

When an oxbow lake evaporates, it is called a:

A)cutoff
B)meander scar
C)meander remnant
D)cut bank

Question 41

What are the differences in the three major stream types?

Question 42

The figure below illustrates a(n)__________, which is common where streams emerge from mountains.

Question 43

The steepness of a stream is known as the discharge.

Question 44

An abandoned meander (with water)in a meandering stream is known as an __________.

Question 45

Points where the gradient of the stream changes abruptly, such as waterfalls
and rapids, are called nickpoints.

Question 46

__________ are low lying areas in desert basin and range regions which consists of mainly salt and sediments.

Question 47

Oxbow lakes are most often associated with abandoned meanders from braided streams.

Question 48

What is the difference between a point bar and a cut bank?

Question 49

In the geomorphic cycle, landforms are generally flat in a youthful stage.

Question 50

Describe the conditions within a stream that allow it to be described as representing a "graded" condition.

Question 51

Any recently deposited sediment is referred to as an alluvial fan.

Question 52

The Ohio River going back and forth in direction is a good example of a __________ stream.

Question 53

The suspended and dissolved sediment and bed load carried by a stream is collectively known as the stream's __________.

Question 54

__________ are the flat, low-lying areas adjacent to streams that receive overbank flow.

Question 55

Water erosion rarely occurs in deserts.

Question 56

Discuss the similarities and the differences between bed load, suspended load, and dissolved load.

Question 57

Any recent sediment deposit transported by water is known as __________.

Question 58

Braided streams commonly occur in areas found in front of glaciers.

Question 59

In the figure below, the Mississippi Delta will be experiencing a(n)__________ in land area in the future.