Question 1

________ is the maximum load of solid particles a stream can transport in a unit of time.

Accepted Answer

Capacity is the term used to describe the maximum load of solid particles a stream can transport in a unit of time. Competence refers to the maximum particle size a stream can transport, alluvium is sediment deposited by flowing water, and bed load describes the particles that roll, slide, and bounce along the bottom of the streambed.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a form of mass wasting?

Accepted Answer

Transpiration is not a form of mass wasting. Transpiration is the process by which water is discharged from plants into the atmosphere.

Question 3

Sediment in a stream is transported as part of the ________.

Accepted Answer

Sediment in a stream can be transported in various forms: as part of the dissolved load (materials dissolved in the water), the suspended load (particles suspended in the water), and the bed load (particles rolling, sliding, and bouncing along the bottom). Therefore, all of the options are correct ways in which sediment can be transported in a stream.

Question 4

Between a river and its floodplain, you might find ________.

Accepted Answer

Natural levees are formed by the deposition of sediments during floods along the banks of a river. They act as barriers, preventing the river from overflowing its banks and flooding the adjacent floodplain. Deltas, distributaries, and meanders are all features found within the river channel itself, rather than between the river and its floodplain.

Question 5

One drainage basin is separated from a neighboring drainage basin by a ________.

Accepted Answer

A divide is a geographic feature that separates one drainage basin from a neighboring drainage basin. It is often a ridge or high ground that directs water flow in different directions. Choices B and C are incorrect because they do not necessarily separate drainage basins. The zone of deposition (choice D) is a region where sediment is deposited by flowing water, but it does not necessarily separate drainage basins.

Question 6

Precipitation of water on the land surface leads directly to ________.

Accepted Answer

Precipitation of water on the land surface can lead to infiltration (water seeping into the ground), evaporation (water turning into vapor and returning to the atmosphere), and runoff (water flowing over the land surface into bodies of water). Therefore, all of the options are correct outcomes of precipitation.

Question 7

The downslope movement of rock or soil due to the influence of gravity is ________.

Accepted Answer

Mass wasting is the movement of rock or soil down a slope due to gravity. Weathering is the process of breaking down rocks or soil by physical or chemical means, while erosion is the movement of sediment by wind, water, or ice. Exfoliation is the process of rocks breaking apart due to the release of confining pressure.

Question 8

How do potholes form?

Accepted Answer

Potholes form when pebbles get caught in swirling eddies of water in a stream or river. The eddies create a hole in the riverbed that becomes deeper and wider over time as more pebbles get caught and the water continues to flow.

Question 9

Ranked by discharge, what is the world's largest river?

Accepted Answer

The Amazon river has the largest discharge of any river in the world, with an average flow of approximately 209,000 cubic meters per second. The Nile and Mississippi rivers also have significant discharges, but they are not as large as the Amazon. The Yellowstone river is much smaller in comparison.

Question 10

Examine the sketch of a bend in a river. The arrows show the water flow direction. In which of the four lettered locations will the water be moving at the highest velocity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
Examine the sketch of a bend in...

Question 11

If you were to examine the longitudinal profile of a typical river, you would probably find that the gradient is ________.

Accepted Answer

The gradient of a typical river is usually steepest near the headwaters, where the water is flowing downhill from higher elevations. As the river moves downstream and the elevation decreases, the gradient becomes less steep. Therefore, the slope of the river is steeper near the headwaters than near the mouth.

Question 12

What kind of drainage pattern would develop on the slopes of Mount Rainier, an isolated volcano in Washington state?

Accepted Answer

Radial drainage pattern forms around a single high point, such as an isolated volcano, like Mount Rainier.

Question 13

The continuous side-to-side erosion caused by shifting of the stream's meanders produces an increasingly broader, flat valley floor covered with alluvium. The flat part of this valley floor, next to the stream, is the ________.

Accepted Answer

The continuous side-to-side erosion would result in floodplain.

Question 14

At a delta, which of the following happens?

Accepted Answer

At a delta, the main channel splits into a number of distributary channels, which then deposit sediment and build the delta.

Question 15

________ make up the suspended loads of most rivers and streams.

Accepted Answer

Suspended loads consist of small-sized detrital grains such as silt and clay. Dissolved ions such as calcium and sodium belong to the dissolved load, while sand and gravel that move along the bottom during floods make up the bed load. Point bars refer to the formations in the channel of the river and are not related to the suspended load.

Question 16

External processes that occur at or near Earth's surface and are powered by ________.

Accepted Answer

External processes near Earth's surface are primarily powered by the energy that is received from the Sun. The Sun provides heat and light energy that drives processes such as weather, erosion, and plant growth. While geothermal heat from Earth's interior can also contribute to surface processes, it is not the primary source of energy for external processes. Radioactive elements in Earth's mantle and cosmic rays also have little direct impact on processes at or near Earth's surface.

Question 17

If discharge of a stream increases to the point that the stream overflows its banks, the stream is said to be ________.

Accepted Answer

When a stream overflows its banks due to an increase in discharge, it is considered flooding. Option A (a yazoo tributary) refers to a type of tributary that runs parallel to the main river and does not overflow its banks. Option C (approaching base level) refers to the point at which a stream reaches its lowest level of erosion and cannot erode further. Option D (eroding a pothole) refers to a specific erosion process rather than the overall behavior of a stream.

Question 18

Plants consume water during photosynthesis. They also release it to the atmosphere during ________.

Accepted Answer

Plants release water to the atmosphere through transpiration, which is the process where water is evaporated from the surface of leaves and stems. This is different from evaporation, which refers to the process where water directly changes from liquid to gas without the involvement of a living organism. Degassing refers to the release of gases from rocks or other solid materials, and infiltration refers to the process of water entering the ground.

Question 19

Rapids and waterfalls are more likely in ________.

Accepted Answer

A V-shaped valley is created by the erosion of fast-moving water, which is commonly found in mountainous regions. The steep sides and narrow bottom of a V-shaped valley funnel the water and increase its speed, creating rapids and waterfalls. Meandering streams, braided streams, and deltas are typically found in flatter terrain and do not have the same fast-moving water and narrow channel that create rapids and waterfalls.

Question 20

Streams erode downward until they reach ________.

Accepted Answer

Base level is the lowest point to which a stream can erode its channel. Once a stream reaches its base level, it can no longer erode downward and may begin to erode laterally, creating a floodplain. Choices B and C are incorrect because a stream's profile and an oxbow are features created by stream erosion, not the point at which erosion stops. Choice D is incorrect because a floodplain is a feature created by lateral erosion, not the point at which erosion stops.

Quiz 3: Landscapes Fashioned by Water