Deck 17: Glacial and Periglacial Landscapes

Question 1

Approximately,what percentage of Earth's freshwater is frozen?

A)10%.
B)25%.
C)50%.
D)75%.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the snowline?

A)It increases in elevation with increasing latitude.
B)It decreases in elevation with increasing latitude.
C)It occurs at approximately the same elevation at all latitudes because the environmental lapse rate is approximately the same at all latitudes.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which is partially compacted snow that is an intermediate between snow and ice?

A)Firn.
B)Glacier.
C)Moraine.
D)Snowline.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In terms of areal extent,which of the following sequences is ordered from largest to smallest extent covered?

A)Ice sheet,ice field,ice cap,alpine glacier.
B)Ice sheet,ice cap,ice field,alpine glacier.
C)Alpine glacier,ice field,ice cap,ice sheet.
D)Ice sheet,alpine glacier,ice field,ice cap.

Question 5

Which is a glacier confined in a bowl-shaped recess in the rock?

A)Cirque glacier.
B)Valley glacier.
C)Piedmont glacier.
D)Tidewater glacier.

Question 6

Which is a general term for a mass of perennial ice,resting on land or floating in the sea attached to a landmass?

A)The snowline.
B)An iceberg.
C)A glacier.
D)A moraine.

Question 7

Which type of glacier dominates Greenland and Antarctica?

A)Ice cap.
B)Ice sheet.
C)Ice field.
D)Ice shelves.

Question 8

Where is the bulk of ice on Earth?

A)North America,specifically Alaska.
B)European and Asian mountain ranges.
C)Greenland and Antarctica.
D)Floating ice shelves and packs.

Question 9

Which is the average thickness of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets?

A)More than 1000 m.
B)More than 2000 m.
C)More than 3000 m.
D)More than 4000 m.

Question 10

Which of the following results from several valley glaciers coalescing at the base of a mountain range?

A)Cirque glacier.
B)Ice cap.
C)Piedmont glacier.
D)Tidewater glacier.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes valley glaciers?

A)The snowfield sources for these glaciers are usually found right at the snowline.
B)They occur in an unconfined environment-like an open plain.
C)They may range in length from 100 m to 100 km.
D)They remain stationary and do not move.

Question 12

Considering glacial movement,which of the following is correct?

A)Glaciers move under the pressure of their own weight and the pull of gravity.
B)Glaciers move in as large masses resulting in great sheets of massive ice.
C)Glacial movement does not produce distinct landforms.
D)Glaciers are mostly stationary,only moving several centimeters over tens of years.

Question 13

Which is glacial ice?

A)It is essentially the same as snow.
B)It is formed from continual accumulation of snow that recrystallizes under its own weight into an ice mass over a period of many years.
C)It is made of sedimentary rock.
D)It is generally less dense than snow and firn.

Question 14

Which is produced by the process of calving?

A)Moraines.
B)Nunataks.
C)Tidewater glacier.
D)Icebergs.

Question 15

To which does a snowline refer?

A)The latitude or elevation at which winter snow accumulates each year.
B)The latitude demarcating the extent of glacial ice during the last glacial maximum.
C)An isoline demarcating the extent of snow or ice on a weather map.
D)The lowest line (latitude or elevation)where winter snow accumulation persists throughout the summer.

Question 16

Why is glacial ice analogous to a metamorphic rock?

A)It has a definite chemical composition.
B)It has a crystalline structure.
C)It forms as a result of recrystallization caused by pressure.
D)It is solid.

Question 17

Which is an extensive,continuous mass of ice covering land at a continental scale?

A)Cirque.
B)Ice sheet.
C)Piedmont glacier.
D)Tidewater glacier.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the transformation of snow into glacial ice in Antarctica?

A)The transformation of snow into glacial ice in Antarctica takes less time than in midlatitude alpine glaciers because more snow falls in polar regions each year and slows the glacier formation process.
B)The transformation of snow into glacial ice in Antarctica takes less time than in midlatitude alpine glaciers because there is more melting and refreezing in the midlatitudes and,therefore,it takes much longer there.
C)The transformation of snow into glacial ice in Antarctica takes longer than in midlatitude alpine glaciers because the long summer days in Antarctica (up to 24-hours)results in more sunlight impeding the glacier development process.
D)The transformation of snow into glacial ice in Antarctica takes longer than in midlatitude alpine glaciers because the dryness of the Antarctic climate and minimal snowfall as compared to wetter climates with constant snowfall.

Question 19

Which of the following is categorized as an alpine glacier?

A)An ice cap.
B)An ice sheet.
C)A cirque glacier.
D)An ice shelf.

Question 20

Consider snow pack and glaciers.Which of the following is true?

A)Many parts of eastern North America heavily rely on snowmelt for municipal water supplies.
B)Seasonal snowpacks increase Earth's albedo.
C)The cryosphere compromises only a small,but very important component of Earth's freshwater resources.
D)Increases in snow cover may create a positive feedback loop as decreased albedo can lead to more warming.

Question 21

Which correctly lists sorting of sediments deposited by glacial ice and glacial meltwater?

A)Glacial ice = sorted; glacial meltwater = sorted.
B)Glacial ice = unsorted; glacial meltwater = unsorted.
C)Glacial ice = unsorted; glacial meltwater = sorted.
D)Glacial ice = sorted; glacial meltwater = unsorted.

Question 22

Which of the following are directly related to glacial erosion?

A)Ablation.
B)Moraines.
C)Plucking.
D)Erratics.

Question 23

Which is the general term for all glacial deposits?

A)Alluvium.
B)Erg.
C)Glacial drift.
D)Talus.

Question 24

Which marks the location where accumulation balances ablation?

A)Equilibrium line.
B)Medial moraine.
C)Snowline.
D)Crevasses.

Question 25

The accumulation zone of a glacier is bounded by a line which marks the elevation above which the winter snow and ice remained intact throughout the summer.Which is this elevation?

A)Ice field.
B)Firn line.
C)Snow line.
D)Terminal moraine.

Question 26

Which is a long,narrow glacially-eroded inlet in which the sea extends inland?

A)Cirque.
B)Fjord.
C)Tarn.
D)Paternoster.

Question 27

Which may be associated with glacial surges?

A)Glaciers frozen at the bed.
B)Bedrock below the glacier that allows ice to slip easily downslope.
C)Friction at the bed due to surface roughness.
D)Water pressure,soft bed beneath the glacier,or lubrication from meltwater.

Question 28

When several cirque glaciers gouge an individual mountain summit from all sides,a pyramidal peak results.Which is this peak?

A)Col.
B)Horn.
C)Hanging valley.
D)Arêtes.

Question 29

How does the upper portion of a glacier flow in comparison to the lower portion of the glacier?

A)Faster.
B)Slower.
C)At the same speed.

Question 30

Which are sharp ridges that form when glaciers erode parallel valleys?

A)Arêtes.
B)Eskers.
C)Drumlins.
D)Bergschrunds.

Question 31

Which of the following is an erosional feature formed by several alpine glaciers?

A)Cirque.
B)Horn.
C)Drumlin.
D)Col.

Question 32

Which determines the mass balance of a glacier?

A)The volume of snow that falls each winter.
B)The difference in volume of snow that falls each year.
C)The balance between accumulation and ablation.
D)The volume of ablation.

Question 33

From which does glacial polish result?

A)Abrasion.
B)Ice plucking.
C)Regelation.
D)Ablation.

Question 34

Which usually results in the formation of crevasses?

A)Regelation and slippage.
B)Ablation.
C)Deposition and termination.
D)Friction,tension,and compression.

Question 35

Vatnajökull is the largest and most voluminous Icelandic glacier.It is roughly circular in shape,overlays several volcanoes,and covers an area of approximately 8,100 km2 with an average thickness of 400 m.Of which is this an example?

A)Ice sheet.
B)Ice cap.
C)Ice field.
D)Alpine glacier.

Question 36

How do glaciated valleys differ from stream cut valleys?

A)A glaciated valley is V- shaped; a stream cut valley is U- shaped.
B)A glaciated valley is U- shaped; a stream cut valley is V- shaped.
C)A glaciated valley is U- shaped; a stream cut valley is U- shaped.
D)A glaciated valley is V- shaped; a stream cut valley is V- shaped.

Question 37

During a glacier surge,a glacier may move at which speed?

A)1 cm per day.
B)1 metre per hour.
C)Tens of metres per day.
D)A few kilometres per hour.

Question 38

The various processes that result in the loss of glacier mass are known collectively as which of the following?

A)Sublimation.
B)Deflation.
C)Surface melting.
D)Ablation.

Question 39

Which is an asymmetrical hill of exposed bedrock produced by plucking and abrasion?

A)Esker.
B)Drumlin.
C)Roche moutonnée.
D)Bergschrund.

Question 40

Which of the following is generally correct regarding the basal layer of a glacier?

A)It can extend tens of metres above the ground surface.
B)It tends to flow more quickly than the overlying parts of the glacier.
C)It contains less debris than other parts of the glacier.
D)Crevasses form in this region of the glacier.

Question 41

Which is the area of sediment deposited by glaciofluvial action beyond the glacial terminus?

A)Till plain.
B)Terminal moraine.
C)Outwash plain.
D)End moraine.

Question 42

The presence of till indicates which of the following?

A)Deposition by water.
B)Deposition by a glacier.
C)Deposition by wind.
D)Deposition of unknown origin (wind,water,or glacial).

Question 43

The lengthy ridges of till along each side of an alpine glacier are which moraines?

A)Ground.
B)Terminal.
C)Medial.
D)Lateral.

Question 44

Which is a steep-sided glaciofluvial depression that occurs as the result of blocks of ice calving from the retreating glacier,becoming buried by the subsequent accumulation of till around the ice block,and finally,the ice block melting?

A)Drumlin.
B)Kame.
C)Esker.
D)Kettle.

Question 45

Which names the elongated hills,often in the shape of an inverted spoon,streamlined in the direction of glacial movement?

A)Eskers.
B)Kettles.
C)Drumlins.
D)Horns.

Question 46

Which is frozen subsurface water in regions of permafrost?

A)Talik.
B)The active layer.
C)Ground ice.
D)Periglacial water.

Question 47

Considering cold climate landscapes,which of the following statements is correct?

A)Periglacial regions occupy about 50% of Earth's land surface.
B)Periglacial environments occur at high latitudes and high elevations.
C)There are no permafrost regions in Alaska due to its maritime subarctic climate.
D)Permafrost develops in areas where soil,sediment,or rock temperatures remain below 10°C for at least two years.

Question 48

Which is a long,narrow,sinuous ridge of stratified sand and gravel located in a till plain?

A)Drumlin.
B)Kame.
C)Esker.
D)Kettle.

Question 49

Which is a class of landforms created by the accumulation of glacial till?

A)Drift.
B)Alluvium.
C)Outwash.
D)Moraines.

Question 50

If two glaciers with lengthy ridges of till along each side of the glacier merge,which moraine may form?

A)Ground.
B)Terminal.
C)Medial.
D)Lateral.

Question 51

Which is a deposit of till that forms behind a terminal moraine as the glacier retreats and is generally spread widely across the ground surface?

A)Outwash plain.
B)Till plain.
C)Drumlin swarm.
D)Lateral moraine.

Question 52

Which is a small hill,knob,or mound of sorted glaciofluvial sand and gravel that forms on the surface of a glacier and is later left on the surface after the glacier retreats?

A)Drumlin.
B)Kame.
C)Esker.
D)Kettle.

Question 53

Which is the zone of seasonally frozen ground that exists between the subsurface permafrost layer and the ground surface?

A)Gelifluction.
B)Discontinuous region.
C)Active layer.
D)Talik.

Question 54

Which is unfrozen ground in a region of discontinuous permafrost?

A)Nunatak.
B)Talik.
C)Cryotic zone.
D)Patterned ground.

Question 55

To which does the term periglacial refer?

A)Areas that are on top of a glacier.
B)Regions which are too warm for ground ice.
C)Cold climate processes along the margins of glaciers.
D)Process and effects that existed during the last ice age.

Question 56

Periglacial environments are likely to occur in which of the following climate types?

A)Tundra.
B)Mesothermal.
C)Humid continental.
D)Desert.

Question 57

Which best describes permafrost?

A)It develops where soil or rock temperatures are below freezing for at least two years.
B)It primarily occurs in areas covered with glaciers.
C)The surface layer of permafrost never thaws,even in the warm season.
D)It tends to occur at lower elevations in the midlatitudes than in the high latitudes.

Question 58

Eroded debris dropped at the glacier's farthest extent is called which moraine?

A)Ground.
B)Terminal.
C)Medial.
D)Lateral.

Question 59

Which is sorted sediment deposited by glaciofluvial action?

A)Glacial erratics.
B)Stratified drift.
C)Till.
D)Moraines.

Question 60

Which is vertical and horizontal movement caused by the expansion of freezing water?

A)Frost heaving and frost thrusting,respectively.
B)Perithermal action.
C)Cryotic heaving.
D)Frost busting.

Question 61

How does the time required for glaciation to occur compare to the time required for deglaciation to happen?

A)Glaciation requires 1000 years; deglaciation requires 100 years.
B)Glaciation requires 100 years; deglaciation requires 1000 years.
C)Glaciation requires 100 000 years; deglaciation requires 10 000 years.
D)Glaciation requires 10 000 years; deglaciation requires 90 000 years.

Question 62

Which of the following is an adaptation to living in periglacial regions?

A)Buildings placed directly on frozen,hard surfaces.
B)Burying water and sewage lines.
C)Raising oil pipelines above the frozen ground.
D)Careful maintenance of rail tracks and roadbeds in the winter.

Question 63

Which of the following has been cited as a possible cause of ice sheet darkening?

A)Ice melt has exposed cleaner land surface,water,and vegetation.
B)Black carbon accumulation from wildfires.
C)Sunspot activity.
D)Snow accumulation.

Question 64

The snowline is at a higher elevation on equatorial mountains than on midlatitude mountains.

Question 65

Which best describes sea levels 18 000 years ago?

A)They were approximately 100 m lower than they are today.
B)They were approximately 50 m higher than they are today.
C)They were approximately 10 m higher than they are today.
D)They were approximately 25 m lower than they are today.

Question 66

Which of the following best describes the Pleistocene?

A)Sea levels were 100 m higher than today.
B)At its height almost three quarters of Earth was covered with ice.
C)It began 1.65 mya and had at least 18 glacial/interglacial cycles.
D)The southern terminus of continuous ice at its greatest extent was located in northern Florida.

Question 67

Much of western North America relies heavily on snowmelt for municipal water supplies.

Question 68

Which of the following is associated with periglacial activity?

A)Permafrost,kettles and eskers.
B)Patterned ground,permafrost,and solifluction.
C)Kettles,kames,and solifluction.
D)Solifluction,moraines,outwash plains.

Question 69

Solifluction is most similar to which mass movement process?

A)Slump.
B)Mudflow.
C)Creep.
D)Fall.

Question 70

Antarctica is colder than the Arctic because

A)Elevation and continentality.
B)It is covered in ice.
C)Antarctica is older.
D)Vegetation cover in the Arctic helps to hold in heat.

Question 71

Which of the following has been cited as a positive feedback loop involving the thawing of permafrost?

A)Thawing of permafrost will increase albedo,leading to more warming.
B)Thawing of permafrost will release vast amounts of carbon to the atmosphere,accelerating warming.
C)Thawing of permafrost will contribute to sea level rise,which will further reduce overall global albedo values.
D)Thawing of permafrost will inhibit frost wedging action on large boulders,altering absorption ability.

Question 72

Why did past climate changes occur?

A)Variations in the solar constant.
B)A steady decrease in temperature from the beginning of time until the Industrial Revolution.
C)Celestial and geophysical factors.
D)A steady,uniform decrease in the ability of the atmosphere to hold moisture.

Question 73

Which of the following is correct relative to the Pleistocene Epoch?

A)It began about 1.65 million years ago.
B)In some areas the ice sheets were more than 12 km thick.
C)The ice sheets disappeared approximately 17 000 years ago.
D)It represents a single,continuous cold spell.

Question 74

Which of the following is an example of a pluvial lake?

A)Lake Superior.
B)Lake Bonneville.
C)Lake Ontario.
D)Lake Nipigon.

Question 75

The 10°C isotherm for average July temperatures is used as the environmental criteria to define which area?

A)The Arctic region.
B)The Antarctic convergence.
C)The Antarctic region.
D)Roughly the region of the 45th parallel.

Question 76

Compare Antarctica with the Arctic.Which of the following is true?

A)The Antarctic is generally warmer than the Arctic.
B)Antarctica can be thought of as a continent covered by a single enormous glacier.
C)The Arctic is a large landmass surrounded by a cold ocean.
D)Less than one quarter of the Arctic sea-ice volume has disappeared since 1970.

Question 77

How were the Great Lakes of North America created?

A)Ice sheets enlarged and deepened stream valleys to form the deep basins of the future lakes.
B)The erosion and deposition of ice in till plains created them.
C)These began as cirque glaciers.
D)They were created by isostatic subsidence of the crust.

Question 78

Which is the movement of soil particles,stones,and small boulders into distinct shapes as a result of the expansion and contraction of frost action?

A)Gelifluction.
B)Patterned ground.
C)Taliks.
D)Solifluction.

Question 79

All snowflakes have six sides and show a remarkable degree of similarity to one another.

Question 80

In which year did surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet reach its greatest extent?

A)2002.
B)2006.
C)2012.
D)2013.