Deck 3: Physical Geography: Landforms

Question 1

Which one of the following groups contains only sedimentary rocks?

A)limestone,sandstone,granite
B)conglomerate,limestone,shale
C)marble,basalt,conglomerate
D)slate,gneiss,marble

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The world's tallest mountains were formed by

A)mechanical weathering.
B)fluid basaltic lava flows.
C)the collision of the Pacific and North American plates.
D)the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Earthquakes result from

A)the reduction in surface tension following a buildup of tectonic forces.
B)vibrations caused by seismic waves.
C)seismic waves.
D)the buildup of tension as tectonic forces are applied.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following processes was responsible for the Ridge and Valley region of the eastern United States?

A)jointing
B)faulting
C)folding
D)earthquakes

Question 5

The most important erosional agent is

A)groundwater flow.
B)chemical oxidation.
C)running water.
D)wind.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about karst topography is NOT true?

A)It is found in limestone regions.
B)It is found in arid regions.
C)It results from the action of water.
D)It often results in sinkholes and caverns.

Question 7

An intrusive igneous rock is formed from

A)lava that cools rapidly on the earth's surface.
B)magma that cools slowly beneath the earth's surface.
C)other rocks that are transformed by heat,pressure,or chemical reactions beneath the earth's surface.
D)sediments that have accumulated under water in horizontal beds.

Question 8

Which of the following groups contain only landforms produced by glacial deposition?

A)lateral moraines,fiords,permafrost
B)outwash plain,lateral moraines,fiords
C)lateral moraines,terminal moraines,outwash plain
D)fiords,outwash plains,terminal moraines

Question 9

The Richter scale is a well-known measure of the magnitude of

A)seismic waves.
B)tsunamis.
C)epicenters.
D)tectonic forces.

Question 10

Which of the following groups contains processes caused only by mechanical weathering?

A)frost action,root action,development of salt crystals
B)hydrolysis,oxidation,carbonation
C)frost action,carbonation,root action
D)development of salt crystals,oxidation,carbonation

Question 11

The landform often formed at the mouth of a heavily silted stream is called

A)a delta.
B)a spit.
C)an offshore bar.
D)a lateral moraine.

Question 12

Which of the following landforms results mainly from the effect of mass wasting or mass movement?

A)mesa
B)talus
C)alluvial fan
D)delta

Question 13

The breaking up of rock by freezing and thawing is the result of

A)chemical weathering.
B)mass wasting.
C)erosion.
D)mechanical weathering.

Question 14

This depositional feature is created in arid regions when a stream exits the mountains and enters a flat lowland.

A)oxbow-shaped lake
B)delta
C)natural levee
D)alluvial fan

Question 15

The theory of continental drift was formulated because

A)of the remarkable fit of the continents.
B)scientists observed that the Atlantic Ocean was widening.
C)of the mountain ranges on the fringes of the Pacific Ocean.
D)the landforms moved over faults.

Question 16

The earth is approximately __________ billion years old.

A)3.5
B)4.5
C)6.0
D)10 to 12

Question 17

The separation of South America from Africa was caused by

A)a convergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
B)a divergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
C)subduction along the Atlantic Coast of South America.
D)subduction along the Atlantic Coast of Africa.

Question 18

Which of the following rock types is formed by heat,pressure,or chemical reactions within the earth's crust acting on the other two major types of rocks?

A)tectonic
B)metamorphic
C)sedimentary
D)igneous

Question 19

If a land surface where a mountain once stood is now a low,flat plain,__________ have been at work.

A)tectonic forces
B)volcanoes
C)gradational processes
D)earthquakes

Question 20

A large destructive sea wave resulting from an earthquake is called a

A)tidal wave.
B)Pangaea.
C)tsunami.
D)subduction.

Question 21

Great fractures in the earth's crust caused an extensive rift valley system in

A)the Mediterranean Basin.
B)Pennsylvania.
C)California.
D)East Africa.

Question 22

Which of the following landforms are found in the floodplains of humid areas?

A)natural levees,washes
B)natural levees,oxbow-shaped lakes
C)mesas,buttes
D)dunes,arroyos

Question 23

Karst topography is created by chemical weathering of ___________ rocks.

A)basalt
B)limestone
C)granitic
D)gneiss

Question 24

Terrain created by an underground solution of limestone creating sinkholes and caverns is known as

A)karst topography.
B)knob and kettle topography.
C)belted topography.
D)gradational topography.

Question 25

Continental glaciers exist today in

A)the Northern Hemisphere only.
B)the Southern Hemisphere only.
C)the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres.
D)no part of the world.

Question 26

For millions of years the Atlantic Ocean has been widening at the rate of about

A)1 mile (1.6 km)per year.
B)1 yard (.9 m)per year.
C)1 foot (.3 m)per year.
D)1 inch (2.5 cm)per year.

Question 27

Glaciers move because

A)the weight of snow causes compaction at the base and the formation of ice,which becomes plastic-like.
B)the gravitational pull on steep slopes causes avalanches that dislodge the snow accumulations.
C)the rotation of the earth holds the snowfields back,thereby forcing them to move.
D)tectonic forces from within the earth dislodge loose materials,such as great slabs of snow and ice.

Question 28

The Richter scale

A)measures the wind speed and central pressure of a hurricane or typhoon.
B)measures the damage potential of a tornado.
C)measures the volume of material released by a volcanic eruption.
D)measures the energy released by an earthquake.

Question 29

A zone of subduction is associated with the occurrence of

A)deep-sea trenches and mountain ranges.
B)mid-ocean ridges and volcanoes.
C)transform faults and earthquakes.
D)relatively flat terrain on the ocean floor.

Question 30

The sand grains that make up beaches originated mainly from

A)windblown materials from desert environments.
B)the great rivers of the world.
C)melting icebergs.
D)coastal erosion and streams.

Question 31

Coal and petroleum occur in the group of rocks classified as

A)igneous.
B)metamorphic.
C)plutonic.
D)sedimentary.

Question 32

Longshore currents are responsible for the creation of

A)moraines.
B)lagoons or inlets.
C)salt marshes.
D)spits.

Question 33

The breakup of rock into smaller fragments of the same material is called

A)decomposition.
B)carbonation.
C)chemical weathering.
D)physical weathering.

Question 34

Theories of the evolution of glaciers include,as possible causes,all of the following EXCEPT

A)periods of excessive dust in the atmosphere.
B)changes in the shape,the tilt,and the seasonal positions of the earth's orbit around the sun.
C)the drifting of continental plates over tropical regions.
D)the periodic changes in the amount of solar energy received on the earth's surface.

Question 35

Earthquakes are most often caused by

A)mass movement.
B)gradational processes.
C)pressure at lithospheric plate boundaries.
D)hot spots.

Question 36

What are the three processes in which diastrophism is involved?

A)weathering,mass wasting,erosion
B)oxidation,hydrolysis,carbonation
C)broad warping,folding,faulting
D)subduction,seafloor spreading,transform movement

Question 37

Which of the following is a wind-deposited material?

A)karst
B)loess
C)Richter
D)barchan

Question 38

The major volcanic belt is located near the major earthquake and fault zones because

A)volcanoes,earthquakes,and faults tend to be concentrated at or near plate boundaries.
B)volcanoes,earthquakes,and faults are all interrelated forms of volcanism.
C)volcanoes,earthquakes,and faults are all coastal processes.
D)volcanoes,earthquakes,and faults are all gradational processes.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT one of the steps in the rock cycle?

A)cementation and compaction of sediment into sedimentary rocks
B)weathering,transport,and deposition of igneous rocks into sediment
C)cooling and solidification of magma into metamorphic rocks
D)pressure and heat converting igneous rocks into metamorphic rocks

Question 40

Sharp ridges and U-shaped valleys are characteristic features of mountains that have undergone

A)stream erosion.
B)wind erosion.
C)glaciation.
D)diastrophism.

Question 41

Oxidation,hydrolysis,and carbonation are forms of _______.

A)mechanical weathering
B)diastrophism
C)chemical weathering
D)volcanism

Question 42

An accumulation of rock fragments at the base of hills and mountains is called _____.

A)talus
B)mass wastes
C)mass debris
D)rock fall

Question 43

Oxbow lakes form when rivers flow onto the more level land at the base of mountain slopes.

Question 44

A hilly depositional feature formed when a glacier melts is a

A)cirque.
B)tarn.
C)col.
D)moraine.

Question 45

Stalactites and stalagmites are characteristic of arêtes and cirques.

Question 46

Cirques are associated with coastal processes.

Question 47

A tsunami can occur due to all of the following EXCEPT

A)an earthquake.
B)an underwater landslide.
C)a volcanic eruption.
D)a hydrolysis.

Question 48

Great fractures in the earth's crust resulted in the creation,through subsidence,of an extensive rift valley system in East Africa.

Question 49

Granite,basalt,pumice,and obsidian are all ______ rocks.

A)igneous
B)metamorphic
C)sedimentary
D)diastrophic

Question 50

The farthest extent of glaciations in North America is approximated by the boundary between Canada and the United States.

Question 51

The buildup of sediment at the intersection of streams is an example of chemical weathering.

Question 52

Which one of the following is NOT a landform created by glaciers?

A)Outwash plain
B)Kame
C)Oxbow lake
D)Cirque

Question 53

The largest areas of continental-size glaciers in the world today are in

A)the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayan Mountains.
B)the Himalayan Mountains and the Andes Mountains.
C)Siberia,Canada,and Alaska.
D)Antarctica and Greenland.

Question 54

Mesas are characterized by their resistant caprock.

Question 55

_____________ is the great pressure acting on the plates that deforms them by folding,twisting,warping,breaking,or compressing rock.

A)Volcanism
B)Subduction
C)Diastrophism
D)Mass movement

Question 56

Hurricane Sandy is a good example of a storm causing

A)A tsunami
B)Coastal erosion
C)An earthquake induced cold front
D)Tides

Question 57

The Ridge and Valley region of Pennsylvania is a remnant of extensive folding.

Question 58

Fine-grained,windblown silt deposits are known as

A)till.
B)loess.
C)drift.
D)talus.

Question 59

The sudden decompression of gases contained within lava results in explosions of rock material to form ashes and cinders.

Question 60

Which group of coastal features exists as the result of erosion by sea waves?

A)sea cliffs,headlands,embayments
B)sandbars,talus slopes,sandpits
C)fringing reefs,barrier reefs,atolls
D)deltas,cuspate bars,capes

Question 61

The present continents were joined in a single landmass as recently as 20 million years ago.

Question 62

Over geologic time,sedimentary rocks can be transformed into metamorphic rocks and vice versa.

Question 63

What general term refers to the alteration of the earth's crust due to plate movement?

Question 64

What is the name of the broad,flat area near a stream in which the stream channel meanders?

Question 65

The world's greatest loess deposits are found mainly in the Sahara Desert.

Question 66

Describe the processes that create coastal landforms and explain why building hotels and condominiums on the beachfront create problems?

Question 67

Volcanism is a gradational process.

Question 68

Identify the three main groups of rocks and indicate with arrows and labels the processes by which each one is formed and transformed in the rock cycle.

Question 69

Explain the theory of plate tectonics.

Question 70

What is the name of the ancient landmass that comprised all existing continents connected together before it broke apart about 200 million years ago?

Question 71

Explain why the zones of active volcanism and earthquakes are often located in close proximity.

Question 72

Permafrost results from the development of fiords by glaciers.

Question 73

Explain how gradation and tectonic forces interact to create new landforms.

Question 74

What landforms occur when the land surface dips below the water table?

Question 75

What are the two principal categories of tectonic processes that shape the earth's surface?

Question 76

In the United States,the greatest loess deposits are found mainly in the Mississippi River basin.

Question 77

Over geologic time,both igneous and metamorphic rocks can be converted to sedimentary rocks.

Question 78

How does a karst-type region develop?

Question 79

Groundwater moves more quickly than surface running water.

Question 80

Less chemical weathering occurs in humid and warmer areas than in dryer and colder regions.