Deck 20: Wind: a Global Geologic Process

Question 1

How do the dunes at Jockey's Ridge compare the dunes at Death Valley?

A) The dunes at Jockey's Ridge cover a much smaller area.
B) The dunes at Jockey's Ridge cover a much larger area.
C) The dunes at Jockey's Ridge cover about the same area.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

High pressure areas occur when

A) cold air sinks or hot air rises.
B) wind blows.
C) cold air sinks.
D) hot air rises.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The world record for the longest period without rainfall occurred in a

A) polar desert.
B) sub-tropical desert.
C) rain-shadow desert.
D) coastal desert.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Wind speed is most closely related to

A) humidity.
B) temperature.
C) landform shapes.
D) pressure.

Question 5

The largest typical size for grains of sand that can be commonly moved by wind is

A) 5 micrometers.
B) 0.5 millimeter.
C) 1.0 millimeter.
D) 1.0 centimeter.

Question 6

Hurricanes coincide with areas of

A) extremely high air pressure where warm, moisture-rich air rises rapidly upward
B) extremely low air pressure where cool, moisture-rich air rises rapidly upward
C) extremely low air pressure where warm, moisture-rich air rises rapidly upward
D) extremely high air pressure where cool, moisture-rich air rises rapidly upward

Question 7

Most deserts are located near

A) 15° latitude.
B) the equator.
C) 30° latitude.
D) 45° latitude.

Question 8

Which desert is not subtropical?

A) Arabian
B) Sahara
C) Kalahari
D) Namib

Question 9

Deserts coincide with

A) subtropical high-pressure belts.
B) subtropical low-pressure belts.
C) temperate high-pressure zones.
D) temperate low-pressure zones.

Question 10

Deserts are

A) regions that receive less than 25 centimeters of rain.
B) regions that receive more than 85% daily sunshine.
C) places that are both very hot and very dry due to little rain.
D) any ecosystem underlain by 2 meters or more of sand.

Question 11

What is the main difference between rain-shadow deserts and tropical deserts?

A) cause of the lack of precipitation
B) the parent rock type
C) the amount of precipitation
D) the typical vegetation

Question 12

The highest sand dune in Death Valley is about how many stories high?

A) 50
B) 35
C) 15
D) 5

Question 13

Which of the following is not a characteristic of Death Valley National Park?

A) a rare variety of desert lifeforms, including animals such a camels, cacti, jack rabbits, etc.
B) virtually no vegetation
C) widespread fans of stream-transported sand and gravel at the mountain bases
D) a gravitational anomaly due to low topography

Question 14

A sand dune is considered "active" when

A) it is being moved by wind.
B) it is being colonized by new plants.
C) it has been formed by volcanic activity.
D) it is being dissolved into the sea.

Question 15

Which condition is least important for wind to have a major effect on landscape?

A) parent rock type
B) frequent strong winds
C) sparse vegetation
D) abundant loose-surface particles

Question 16

Which of the following is not a common cause and effect related to dust?

A) Swirling dust reduces visibility and causes highway accidents.
B) Vegetated land is changed to barren desert by windstorms.
C) Topsoil loses its nutrients and agriculture becomes less productive in a given area.
D) Cities experience hazy skies, even thousands of kilometers from dust storms.

Question 17

Plants do not grow on coastal dunes primarily due to

A) lack of moisture.
B) infertility of sand.
C) ocean winds.
D) presence of ocean water.

Question 18

Which is not a common characteristic of places where large sand dunes form?

A) hot year-round climate
B) blowing wind
C) an abundance of loose sand
D) very little vegetation

Question 19

"Globally, varying air pressures result from large-scale air circulation driven by heating and cooling." Evaluate this statement.

A) It is true; air pressure increases as hot air rises and pushes against cooler air masses.
B) It is partially true; however, Earth's rotation also plays an important part.
C) It is partially true; however, it is much more complicated due to ocean currents.
D) It is false; varying air pressure is caused solely by Earth's rotation and ocean currents.

Question 20

Which of the following is not part of dust?

A) mineral particles
B) water molecules
C) pollen and spores
D) microbes

Question 21

Yardangs form from

A) sedimentary rock, which is strong enough to stay standing but soft enough to abrade.
B) metamorphic rock, which is strong enough to withstand extensive abrasion without being completely eroded and swept away.
C) igneous intrusions, which are left standing after sedimentary rock around it has been eroded.
D) volcanic rock, which is soft and easily abraded.

Question 22

Crescent-shaped dunes formed where the amount of sand is outweighed by gravel and bedrock are

A) parabolic dunes.
B) barchan dunes.
C) transverse dunes.
D) star dunes.

Question 23

"Air masses that move over deserts are dry." Evaluate this statement.

A) This statement is true.
B) This statement is partially true; however, rain-shadow deserts carry moist coastal air across the desert without dropping the moisture from the air mass.
C) This statement is partially true; coastal deserts often have large wet-air masses move over them, but the air mass does not drop moisture.
D) This statement is false.

Question 24

Which type of desert involves an air mass moving inward from the ocean?

A) subtropical desert
B) rain-shadow desert
C) coastal desert
D) polar desert

Question 25

Geologists best estimate the shear stress applied to erosion by wind by measuring

A) the depth of the air mass.
B) the density of the air mass.
C) the average particle size carried by the wind.
D) the velocity of the wind.

Question 26

How do sand dunes and ventifacts on Mars compare to sand dunes and ventifacts on Earth?

A) They are much larger.
B) They are shaped differently due to the composition of the Martian surface.
C) They are considerably smaller.
D) They are the same.

Question 27

How does loess typically change the shape of a landscape?

A) It piles up and sediments into mesas.
B) It blankets the landscape, then is easily eroded into deep canyons.
C) It piles up in a way that creates hills and valleys.
D) It does not change the shape of the landscape.

Question 28

A pan is

A) an area in the desert where water has caused a depression.
B) a flat bench at the top of a sand dune caused by deflation.
C) an elliptical or circular depression caused by deflation.
D) a scoop shape in a dune caused by a stream of water.

Question 29

Wind most commonly picks up particles by

A) shear force.
B) flow force.
C) abrasion.
D) plucking.

Question 30

Wind velocity is typically highest at the sediment surface where

A) the surface has a steep slope.
B) the surface is near an ocean or large lake.
C) the surface is smooth with no plants.
D) there is smooth rock instead of sand.

Question 31

Which type of desert involves an air mass moving outward to the ocean?

A) subtropical desert
B) rain-shadow desert
C) coastal desert
D) polar desert

Question 32

A playa, with its deposits of gypsum and halite, may form in a

A) yardang.
B) ventifact.
C) deflation.
D) pan.

Question 33

Deflation is derived from a Latin word meaning

A) to erode.
B) to blow away.
C) to lose volume.
D) to abrade or scrape.

Question 34

"Made by wind" is the meaning of the Latin root of the word

A) yardang.
B) ventifact.
C) deflation.
D) pan.

Question 35

Dunes that form in places where vegetation anchors some of the sand and therefore limits the sand supply are

A) parabolic dunes.
B) barchan dunes.
C) transverse dunes.
D) linear dunes.

Question 36

Tiny products of volcanic eruptions may remain aloft in the atmosphere for

A) up to six months.
B) up to three years.
C) about ten years.
D) about fifteen years.

Question 37

Figure 20.9
According to Figure 20.9 in your textbook, sediment grains that are about 0.1 to 0.3 millimeters will

A) roll.
B) bounce.
C) be suspended.
D) travel great distances.

Question 38

Where are inactive sand dunes most common in the United States?

A) Pacific Northwest
B) Southeast
C) High Plains region
D) the windy Midwest

Question 39

A grain size of 0.1 millimeter typically requires a wind speed of ________ in order to be picked up.

A) 1 kilometer per hour
B) 5 kilometers per hour
C) 8 kilometers per hour
D) 15 kilometers per hour

Question 40

A sediment grain that bounces typically dislodges

A) one other sediment grain.
B) two or three more sediment grains.
C) ten more sediment grains.
D) twenty more sediment grains.

Question 41

In the summer, dust in the Southeast is red. This is due to

A) iron oxide minerals.
B) organic content.
C) clay minerals.
D) aluminum.

Question 42

Spring dust has its highest concentrations in the American

A) northwest.
B) southwest.
C) northeast.
D) southeast.

Question 43

Convective motion in the atmosphere is approximately ________ times faster than convective motion in the mantle.

A) 2,500,000,000
B) 100,000
C) 2,500,000
D) 2,500

Question 44

Which of the following is not a natural process that could be involved in the creation of desert pavement?

A) dissolving and precipitation of sand minerals
B) wind blowing away sand, silt, and dust
C) rain washing fine dust downward
D) shrinking and swelling of silica minerals

Question 45

Dust from Africa is most commonly found in the American

A) northwest.
B) southwest.
C) northeast.
D) southeast.

Question 46

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Deserts are arid regions with little precipitation because high temperatures lead to the evaporation of water.

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 47

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The temperature and moisture effects on air density commonly work together, because warm air can hold more moisture than cold air.

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 48

What is true about loess and river valleys?

A) Loess deposits tend to be thinner and sandier close to river valleys.
B) Loess deposits tend to be thinner and less sandy close to river valleys.
C) Loess deposits tend to be thicker and sandier close to river valleys.
D) Loess deposits tend to be thicker and less sandy close to river valleys.

Question 49

Figure 20.23
According to Figure 20.23 in your textbook, scientists trace dust origins by analyzing

A) mineral particles.
B) pollen grains.
C) microbe DNA.
D) element concentrations.

Question 50

Dust that causes hazy days in the Southeastern United States comes from

A) northern South America.
B) the southeastern United States.
C) southern South America.
D) Africa.

Question 51

Plankton that cause poisonous red tide are nourished by

A) carbon.
B) calcium.
C) iron.
D) potassium.

Question 52

Which of the following is not a source of dust in the United States?

A) Asian deserts
B) African deserts
C) South American deserts
D) other planets

Question 53

The dunes that form where wind erosion attacks a barren area in a largely vegetated landscape are called

A) transverse dunes.
B) barchan dunes.
C) parabolic dunes.
D) star dunes.

Question 54

In coastal areas you would expect ________ winds during the day and ________ during the night.

A) onshore, offshore
B) onshore, onshore
C) offshore, offshore
D) offshore, onshore

Question 55

Long sand ridges oriented parallel to the prevailing wind direction are called

A) transverse dunes.
B) linear dunes.
C) parabolic dunes.
D) star dunes.

Question 56

Hurricanes coincide with areas of extremely ________.

A) low air temperature
B) high air temperature
C) low air pressure
D) high air pressure

Question 57

Global wind patterns are a result of all of the following except

A) temperature driven convection.
B) evaporation and condensation of water vapor.
C) Earth's rotation.
D) Earth's magnetic field.

Question 58

What region of the United States has the highest summer dust concentrations?

A) northwest
B) southwest
C) northeast
D) southeast

Question 59

Motion in the atmosphere is called

A) climate.
B) wind.
C) convection.
D) wave.

Question 60

The greater the difference in air pressure, the ________.

A) more horizontal the wind direction
B) more vertical the wind direction
C) faster the wind speed
D) slower the wind speed

Question 61

How do polar deserts exist?

Question 62

What are ventifacts?

Question 63

The majority of Earth's deserts form as ________ deserts.

A) subtropical
B) rain-shadow
C) coastal
D) polar

Question 64

Warm moist air cools as it moves ________ in the atmosphere.

A) north
B) south
C) east
D) west
E) higher

Question 65

Why do wind directions not remain the same year round?

A) The Coriolis effect is a seasonal effect.
B) Lower air pressure over the continents in the summer.
C) Land and ocean surfaces heat evenly.
D) Atmospheric convection only occurs in the summer.

Question 66

Global wind patterns are the summed-up effects of all of the following except

A) rain, freezing rain and snowfall.
B) atmospheric convection.
C) Earth's rotation.
D) seasonal variation in solar heating.
E) uneven heating of land and sea.

Question 67

The cooling of rising air is due to a decrease in

A) pressure.
B) temperature.
C) motion.
D) volume.

Question 68

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below. Evidence for the erosion and modification of the landscape by the wind is not seen everywhere in desert climates because some places in the desert lack vegetation and have strong winds.

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 69

________ are a seasonal phenomena that occurs when moist air is drawn onto a continent from the adjacent ocean.

A) Hurricanes
B) Typhoons
C) Monsoons
D) Tsunami

Question 70

Polar deserts form above ________ degrees north or south latitude.

A) 0
B) 15
C) 30
D) 45
E) 60

Question 71

The Coriolis effect shifts moving objects to the ________ of their initial path in the northern hemisphere and to the ________ in the southern hemisphere.

A) right, right
B) right, left
C) left, left
D) left, right

Question 72

Which parcel of air has the lowest pressure?

A) warm moist air
B) warm dry air
C) cold moist air
D) cold dry air

Question 73

How is it possible that coastal deserts exist in such a close proximity to ocean moisture?

Question 74

Subtropical deserts form close to ________ degrees north or south latitude.

A) 0
B) 15
C) 30
D) 45
E) 60

Question 75

Which parcel of air has the highest pressure?

A) warm moist air
B) warm dry air
C) cold moist air
D) cold dry air

Question 76

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below. Motion in the atmosphere is fundamentally different from motion in the mantle because the atmosphere moves by convective motion and the mantle moves by conductive motion.

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 77

It is unusual for the wind to move grains larger than ________ in diameter.

A) 0.05 mm
B) 0.5 mm
C) 5 mm
D) 0.5 cm

Question 78

What is deflation? Why can deflation not continue beneath the water table?

Question 79

What does the Coriolis effect do?

Question 80

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below. Grains are easier to move in water than air because the grains effectively weigh less in water than in air.

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.