Deck 14: Soil Formation and Landscape Stability

Question 1

Sticky, clumping soil contains

A) silica minerals.
B) organic matter.
C) clay minerals.
D) excess water.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which soil horizon may be red in color and contain clay?

A) O horizon
B) A horizon
C) C horizon
D) B horizon

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which Latin word or phrase is the E horizon named after?

A) raised up
B) washed out
C) rich
D) rocky

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What is the main difference between the A horizon and the C horizon?

A) particle size
B) organic content
C) clay content
D) silica content

Question 5

Which is not a primary reaction of chemical weathering?

A) oxidation
B) exfoliation
C) dissolution
D) hydrolysis

Question 6

Which type of soil is likely to have white calcite nodules?

A) rain forest soil
B) tundra soil
C) desert soil
D) agricultural-use prairie soil

Question 7

Which horizon may accumulate minerals that are not present in the parent material?

A) A horizon
B) O horizon
C) E horizon
D) B horizon

Question 8

Which of the following is the most similar between soil and regolith?

A) biologic activity
B) sediment content
C) support of plant life
D) horizons

Question 9

Weathering is most intense near the surface because of

A) moisture availability and natural acidity.
B) moisture availability and exposure to air.
C) moisture availability and exposure to sunlight.
D) exposure to air and sunlight.

Question 10

How are added minerals most often found in soil?

A) in crystal form
B) coated on fragments of existing materials
C) clinging to roots of plants
D) in veins or stripes of continuous crystals or powder

Question 11

What is regolith?

A) a large continuous occurrence of rock
B) rock that is from a particular bedding layer
C) rock from the layer closest to the surface
D) rock that is weathered and loose

Question 12

What is the main difference between soil horizons and sedimentary bedding?

A) Soil horizons are less consistent.
B) Soil horizons form in place.
C) Sedimentary beds have a greater variety of particle sizes.
D) Sedimentary beds are harder.

Question 13

Which of the following is least likely to reduce soil fertility?

A) weathering
B) agricultural use and harvest
C) a fallow period with no plant growth
D) the dissolution of minerals

Question 14

What might be present to cause a reddish color in a soil horizon?

A) organic materials
B) bedrock
C) aluminum and iron oxides
D) clay minerals

Question 15

Which compound is least likely to be washed downward from the A horizon?

A) silicate minerals
B) organic matter
C) potassium crystals
D) magnesium minerals

Question 16

Soil horizons are distinguished from one another by

A) particle size and soil color.
B) soil color and mineral composition.
C) particle type and mineral composition.
D) particle size and color.

Question 17

Which of the following is not regolith?

A) parent material for soil
B) products of physical weathering
C) the second layer in a sedimentary bed
D) sediment

Question 18

Which is not a definition of soil?

A) any surface material that is solid rock
B) any surface material that is not solid rock
C) the medium for plant growth
D) the upper layer disturbed by tools for crop cultivation

Question 19

Figure 14.3
According to Figure 14.3 from your textbook, what might be present to cause a gray-brown color in a horizon?

A) organic materials
B) bedrock
C) aluminum and iron oxides
D) clay minerals

Question 20

Which horizon will show the least degree of weathering?

A) O horizon
B) A horizon
C) C horizon
D) B horizon

Question 21

Which soil-forming material would produce the most fertile soil?

A) volcanic ash
B) clay minerals
C) sand minerals
D) granite grains

Question 22

Which of the following is not a parent material for the formation of clay?

A) feldspar
B) schist
C) iron-bearing silicates
D) magnesium-bearing silicates

Question 23

Which state would you expect to have the most Histosols soil?

A) Alaska
B) California
C) Nevada
D) Florida

Question 24

Figure 14.22
Study Figure 14.22 from your textbook. Approximately how many grams of calcite accumulate in soils per year, according to Gile and Grossman's experiment?

A) 0.2-0.8
B) 1.7-3.0
C) 4.2-5.9
D) 7.8-9.6

Question 25

Which is not a common form of calcium addition to soil?

A) parent rock
B) dust
C) rain
D) acidic dissolution

Question 26

Figure 14.10
According to Figure 14.10 from your textbook, which soil-forming process is least affected by the vegetation of a region?

A) infiltration of water
B) forming and dissolving minerals by weathering
C) accumulation of organic matter
D) soil erosion

Question 27

Which area would be most likely to have a thick regolith with immature soil?

A) a steep, eroded slope
B) a high plateau
C) a gently sloping plain
D) the base of a steep, eroded slope

Question 28

If all other variables were the same, what differences would you expect between a humid and an arid climate in soil formation?

A) The humid climate would have less mineral dissolution from near-surface horizons and a greater accumulation of clay, oxide, and hydroxide.
B) The humid climate would have less mineral dissolution from near-surface horizons and less accumulation of clay, oxide, and hydroxide.
C) The humid climate would have more mineral dissolution from near-surface horizons and less accumulation of clay, oxide, and hydroxide.
D) The humid climate would have more mineral dissolution from near-surface horizons and a greater accumulation of clay, oxide, and hydroxide.

Question 29

Minerals are added to the B horizon primarily from the

A) E and O horizons.
B) C and E horizons.
C) A and O horizons.
D) A and E horizons.

Question 30

A student makes the following statement: "Soils are immature in Alaska mainly because there is little rain fall in the arctic." Evaluate this statement.

A) It is true.
B) It is false. The main factor is time.
C) It is false. The main factor is temperature.
D) It is false. The main factor is organic matter.

Question 31

Which type of soil is likely to contain metal ores in large enough amounts to mine?

A) desert soils
B) wetland soils
C) grassland soils
D) rainforest soils

Question 32

Why is there a greater concentration of calcite, halite, and gypsum in desert soils than in other soils?

A) The sand of the desert contains more of these minerals than soil-forming rocks in other regions do.
B) The dry climate allows minerals to precipitate from solution while in wetter soils they would filter away.
C) The dry earth allows minerals to come up to the surface while in wetter soils they would remain lower.
D) The soils of the desert do not contain pores large enough to wash these minerals away when water comes in the form of rain.

Question 33

How was radioactive carbon dating useful for the atmospheric calcium additions calculations?

A) It was not useful.
B) It helped to establish the amount of calcium present.
C) It helped to establish the rate of deposition.
D) It was used as a standard amount for a mineral in the soil.

Question 34

Figure 14.11
Looking at Figure 14.11 from your textbook, the reason that the calcite accumulation is deeper on the central part of the test line from Wyoming to Wisconsin than it is on the western part is on account of

A) grass type.
B) organic matter content.
C) elevation.
D) rainfall.

Question 35

Which factor would not cause a variation in the amount of calcite added to soil in the region of a particular dust trap?

A) average wind velocity
B) topography
C) rainfall
D) parent rocks

Question 36

Caliche is

A) fragmented quartz crystals that tumble down a cliff.
B) limestone crystals that form by precipitation.
C) calcite cement in desert rocks.
D) silica cement in ancient river-bed rocks.

Question 37

Choose the option that puts the soil types in order from those that form in areas with the most moisture to those that form in areas with the least moisture.

A) Aridosols, Alfisols, Spodosols
B) Ultisols, Aridosols, Entisols
C) Alfisols, Vertisols, Gelisols
D) Histosols, Mollisols, Aridosols

Question 38

Comment on the accuracy and usefulness of the atmospheric calcium additions calculation that was conducted according to Gile and Grossman's dust trap experiment.

A) The data and hypothesis were extremely accurate and useful.
B) It was perhaps not very accurate, but nonetheless a useful hypothesis.
C) It was not an accurate calculation, and therefore not that useful.
D) The calculations were very accurate, but not useful because the hypothesis was not clear.

Question 39

What event was a major factor in the development of the fertile soils of the upper Midwest and Northeast United States?

A) glaciation
B) volcanic eruptions
C) tectonic forces
D) erosion by meandering rivers

Question 40

What evidence made scientists hypothesize that dust contained calcium?

A) crystals found high on ridges
B) limestone formations on prairies
C) the color of dust on windswept plateaus
D) dissolved calcite in the ground

Question 41

________ soils in the southeastern U.S. are notable for red, clay-rich B horizons, rich in iron and aluminum.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 42

________ soils in New England form in cool, wet climates have distinct E horizons.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 43

How many metric tons of soil erode away each year in the United States?

A) 1 billion
B) 4 billion
C) 14 billion
D) 24 billion

Question 44

What is a rill?

A) a scooped-out valley in soil
B) a ripple in sandy soil
C) a small channel in soil
D) a small stream

Question 45

________ soils are common in the equatorial regions of South America and Africa.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 46

A soil with a thin A horizon, a thick O horizon and a B horizon with considerable clay content is most likely a ________ soil.

A) forest
B) rainforest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) wetland

Question 47

Which calculation was done to determine the rate of calcite accumulation in soils in Gile and Grossman's experiment?

A) the number of kilograms of calcite found in the soil column divided by time (calculated by radioactive carbon dating)
B) the number of kilograms of calcite found in the soil column (estimated by comparison with known sources) multiplied by time (estimated by comparison with similar rock layers elsewhere)
C) time (calculated by radioactive carbon dating) divided by the number of kilograms of calcite found in the soil column (measured in the lab)
D) time (calculated by using known fossils) divided by the number of kilograms of calcite found in the soil column

Question 48

According to Figure 14.5, the B horizon is most depleted in ________.

A) calcite
B) clay minerals
C) iron oxide/hydroxide minerals
D) organic matter

Question 49

Which action would a sheet of water most likely perform?

A) formation of a rill
B) formation of a stream
C) general flooding of soil
D) formation of a gully

Question 50

The regolith and soil are underlain by the

A) O horizon.
B) A horizon.
C) E horizon.
D) B horizon.
E) Bedrock.

Question 51

Thicker soil deposits on sedimentary rocks, compared to plutonic rocks, is an example of the role of ________ in determining soil characteristics.

A) parent material
B) climate
C) vegetation
D) time
E) landscape relief

Question 52

What is a gully?

A) a scooped-out valley in soil
B) a ripple in sandy soil
C) a small channel in soil
D) a small stream

Question 53

Which of the following is not a soil conservation measure?

A) planting corn in vertical rows
B) planting patches of grass between patches of corn
C) terracing
D) planting grass on water courses

Question 54

________ soils are common in the southeastern part of the United States.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 55

Which soil horizon contains poorly weathered regolith?

A) O horizon
B) A horizon
C) E horizon
D) B horizon
E) C horizon

Question 56

The location of farms close to volcanoes in Indonesia is an example of the role of ________ in determining soil characteristics.

A) parent material
B) climate
C) vegetation
D) time
E) landscape relief

Question 57

The soils in the central part of the United States used for growing wheat, corn and soybeans are classified as ________ soils.

A) forest
B) rainforest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) wetland

Question 58

________ soils are common in the southwestern part of the United States.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 59

Figure 14.5
According to Figure 14.5, a major difference between the B horizons of forest soil and desert soil is

A) desert soil is enriched in calcite when compared to the parent material.
B) forest soil is enriched in calcite when compared to the parent material.
C) desert soil is depleted in clay minerals when compared to the parent material.
D) forest soil is depleted in clay minerals when compared to the parent material.

Question 60

Which of the following practices by farmers decreases erosion?

A) tilling
B) planting ground cover crops
C) allowing fields to lie empty and fallow
D) removing weeds

Question 61

________ soils often are rich in a black organic rich plant residue called peat.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 62

Desert soils that form on parental material containing virtually no calcite receive their calcium from

A) animal droppings.
B) the asthenosphere.
C) the lithosphere.
D) the atmosphere.

Question 63

The world's largest bauxite deposits, in northern Australia, form in ancient ________ soils.

A) forest
B) rainforest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) wetland

Question 64

________ soils are common in the western United States.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 65

What are the types of soils?

Question 66

What distinguishes soil horizons?

Question 67

What is soil?

Question 68

Because of intense leaching and oxidation, ________ soils are very infertile.

A) forest
B) rainforest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) wetland

Question 69

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below. When farming in steep terrain it is best to modify the slopes by making terraces because the flat terrace surface slow down the water, decrease erosion and allow the water to soak into the soil.

A) The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.
B) The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is invalid.
C) The assertion is correct but the reason is incorrect.
D) The assertion is incorrect but the reason is correct.
E) Both the assertion and the reason are incorrect.

Question 70

How do soils form?

Question 71

Aluminum ore called bauxite forms in ________ soils.

A) forest
B) rainforest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) wetland

Question 72

________ soils are common in South America and Africa.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 73

All of the following agricultural practices leave significant parts of the land exposed to water runoff and soil erosion except

A) bare areas.
B) rows of sown crops.
C) compacted land surfaces.
D) terracing steep slopes.

Question 74

________ soils in the United States typically have thick, dark, organic-rich A horizons.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland

Question 75

How do human activities affect soils?

Question 76

All of the following agricultural practices decrease erosion except

A) row plowing.
B) "no-till" plowing.
C) contour plowing.
D) slope terracing.

Question 77

What is the role of vegetation?

Question 78

What factors determine soil characteristics?

Question 79

________ soils commonly consist entirely of O and A horizons.

A) Forest
B) Rainforest
C) Grassland
D) Desert
E) Wetland