Exam 8: Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Very fine- grained______ particles account for nearly all red, yellow, and brown soil colors.

Deep soils are characteristic of tropical regions whereas thin rocky soils are characteristic of high latitudes. This is a natural demonstration that______ .

Consider a weathered rock or soil particle lying on a slope. How will the gravitational force pulling the particle downward along the land surface vary with the inclination of the slope?

Unconsolidated, granular materials such as gravel and sand will support maximum slope angles of about 33 to 35 degrees. What is the name for this maximum slope angle?

Features like rock ledges in badlands or rock fins standing above adjacent valleys are all examples of ______.

In the late 1950's the Hebgen Lake earthquake outside of Yellowstone triggered a mass wasting event. The landslide originated on steep mountains slopes where rocks slid off a surface and descended to the valley floor in a few seconds, burying a campground and many people staying there. This type of landslide would be called ______.

Water runoff is a major factor in soil erosion, what is a common land use practice on slopes to minimize soil erosion?

Quartz weathers readily to______ minerals.

Which of the following mass movements is most likely to occur in a geologic setting where the rock strata are inclined?

Centuries ago quarrymen learned that when quarrying granite it was usually easiest to break the rock along a nearly horizontal surface. We now know this arises because ______.

A rancher overgrazes his land in an area underlain by heavy clay soils and regolith developed from weathering of claystone. After a series of heavy rains small creeks develop deep gullies along their length. A light steady rain develops and continues for several days. What should the rancher be concerned about on his overgrazed lands?

As an erosional process, how is mass wasting unique compared to wind, water, and ice?

Which statement best describes slumping, a mass wasting process?

According to your textbook, soil is an interface between Earth's spheres, and all life owes its existence to soil. Explain why soil is considered to be so important.

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

______and______ generally involve movement of unconsolidated or weakly consolidated soil and regolith.

Landslides commonly occur when hurricanes hit steep terrain. Why?

______denotes the downslope movement of soils and regolith.

The longer a soil has been forming, the______ it becomes.

Fill in the blanks on the diagram below with the names of the soil "layers" that are labeled.