Question 1

When did Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior drain via the Nipissing spillway to the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence?

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) in the Early Holocene between 10,500 and 5,500, prior to glacial isostatic rebound. This period marks a significant phase in the post-glacial history of the Great Lakes, where changes in water levels and drainage patterns were influenced by the melting of glaciers and the rebounding of the Earth's crust.

Question 2

Why is a bird-foot delta like that of the present-day Mississippi below New Orleans likely to change naturally toward one with the shape of an equilateral triangle like the upper-case Greek letter delta (̇Δ)?

Accepted Answer

Potential new major distributary channels have steeper gradients than existing channels, leading to a natural shift towards a more triangular delta shape.

Question 3

A dam and reservoir are constructed on a graded river. What will happen?

Accepted Answer

When a dam is constructed on a river, sediment that would normally be transported downstream accumulates in the reservoir upstream of the dam, leading to deposition. Below the dam, the lack of sediment and continued water flow can lead to channel downcutting as the river attempts to reestablish its gradient.

Question 4

The__________ river has the largest discharge of any in the world.

Accepted Answer

The Amazon River has the largest discharge of any river in the world, releasing approximately 209,000 cubic meters per second into the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 5

__________is not part of the hydrologic cycle.

Accepted Answer

Calcium carbonate dissolving in or precipitating from soil water and groundwater is a chemical process, not a physical process of the hydrologic cycle which involves the movement and phase change of water.

Question 6

How does urbanization (buildings, paving, lawns etc.) affect runoff and infiltration in a small, previously forested, drainage basin?

Accepted Answer

Urbanization typically leads to an increase in impermeable surfaces, which decreases infiltration into the ground and increases runoff.

Question 7

__________in a delta are essentially cross strata inclined toward deeper water.

Accepted Answer

Foreset beds in a delta are the layers of sediment that are deposited at an angle as the delta builds out into deeper water. These beds slope down toward the deeper parts of the body of water, indicating the direction of sediment transport and deposition.

Question 8

Which one of the following best fits with floodplain widening?

Accepted Answer

Floodplain widening is characteristic of a mature stream, where the stream has enough energy to erode laterally, leading to the widening of its floodplain. This process is often accompanied by the formation of point bars, which are deposits of sediment on the inside bends of meanders.

Question 9

The__________ describes the movement of water through Earth's hydrosphere.

Accepted Answer

The hydrologic cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, which includes processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.

Question 10

Which one of the following is true concerning a major river system?

Accepted Answer

Upstream tributaries often have higher competencies than the major river because they are typically steeper and can carry larger particles. This is due to the gradient being steeper in the headwaters, which provides the energy needed to transport larger sediment.

Question 11

Which one of the following statements is true concerning natural levees?

Accepted Answer

Natural levees are formed by the deposition of mostly fine sand and silt during floods, as the water overflows the banks of a river and loses velocity, causing sediment to settle out.

Question 12

At the head of a delta, the major river divides into numerous, smaller channels. What are these smaller channels?

Accepted Answer

Distributaries are the smaller channels into which a major river divides at the head of a delta, distributing water and sediment into the delta.

Question 13

Which one of the following best describes how urbanization affects small- stream watersheds?

Accepted Answer

Urbanization typically leads to an increase in impervious surfaces such as roads, buildings, and pavements, which reduces the ground's ability to absorb water (infiltration decreases). Consequently, water runs off more quickly into streams, reducing the lag time between storms and peak runoff.

Question 14

Where would you expect to find the coarsest particle size in delta sediments?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Where would you expect to find the...

Question 15

A __________stream pattern develops on lands underlain by tilted or folded, alternating hard and soft, sedimentary strata.

Accepted Answer

A trellis drainage pattern develops on lands underlain by tilted or folded, alternating hard and soft, sedimentary strata. This pattern features parallel main streams with short tributaries meeting them at right angles, resembling a garden trellis.

Question 16

Which one of the following does not apply to stream turbulence and average velocity?

Accepted Answer

Turbulence and average velocity in streams are influenced by factors such as channel shape, bed roughness, stream gradient, channel roughness, and discharge. However, laminar flow and dissolved load do not directly influence stream turbulence and average velocity. Laminar flow refers to a type of flow where the fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between the layers, which is not directly related to the factors affecting turbulence and average velocity in streams. Similarly, dissolved load refers to the portion of a stream's load that is carried in solution, which does not directly impact the stream's turbulence or average velocity.

Question 17

Which one of the following statements correctly describes how stream terraces can form?

Accepted Answer

Stream terraces form when a temporary base level is eliminated, causing the stream to downcut into its channel upstream from the old temporary base level. This process leaves the former floodplain well above the present elevation of the stream.

Question 18

A radial drainage pattern would most likely develop_________ .

Accepted Answer

A radial drainage pattern typically develops on conical or dome-shaped landscapes where streams flow outward from a central high point, which is characteristic of an active, growing volcano.

Question 19

Which of the following is not a type of flood?

Accepted Answer

Gradual flood is not a recognized type of flood. Flash floods, ice-jam floods, and regional floods are all specific types of floods characterized by their causes and dynamics. Flash floods occur rapidly, ice-jam floods are caused by ice blockages in rivers, and regional floods cover large areas, but "gradual flood" is not a standard term used in hydrology or flood management.

Question 20

Which one of the following would cause stream rejuvenation?

Accepted Answer

Stream rejuvenation occurs when the base level that a stream is eroding towards is lowered, often due to the land being uplifted. This causes the stream to increase its energy and erosive power, leading to renewed downcutting into its channel.

Quiz 7: Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks