Question 1

Water expands when it freezes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Why is soil a nonrenewable resource?

Accepted Answer

A) Because it forms very slowly 
B) Because there is a limited amount of soil on the Earth and it cannot be replaced 
C) Because it is not commonly used for human commerce 
D) Because it cannot be privately owned 
A) Because it forms very slowly 
B) Because there is a limited amount of soil on the Earth and it cannot be replaced 
C) Because it is not commonly used for human commerce 
D) Because it cannot be privately owned A

Question 3

A soil's parent material can consist of weathered mineral matter.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 4

Which weathering process is illustrated in this image?

Accepted Answer

A) Exfoliation 
B) Root wedging 
C) Hydrolysis 
D) Frost wedging 
A) Exfoliation 
B) Root wedging 
C) Hydrolysis 
D) Frost wedging

Question 5

A(n)________ is a common boundary where different parts of a system interact.

Accepted Answer

A) sphere 
B) interface 
C) delineation 
D) geosphere 
A) sphere 
B) interface 
C) delineation 
D) geosphere

Question 6

Thermal expansion and thermal contraction are two processes where the presence of heat will weather a rock, breaking it into smaller pieces.In which category of weathering would you expect to find thermal expansion and contraction? Why?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical weatherin

Question 7

Which of the following is a good method to reduce soil erosion as a result of strong winds?

Accepted Answer

A) Planting grass in natural drainageways 
B) Creating terraces on steep slopes 
C) Planting rows of trees and shrubs 
D) Plant rows for crops that are oriented straight up the slope 
A) Planting grass in natural drainageways 
B) Creating terraces on steep slopes 
C) Planting rows of trees and shrubs 
D) Plant rows for crops that are oriented straight up the slope

Question 8

A vertical succession of soil horizons is called a soil profile.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which of the following is not an agent of erosion?

Accepted Answer

A) Running water 
B) Heat 
C) Ice 
D) Wind 
A) Running water 
B) Heat 
C) Ice 
D) Wind

Question 10

Oxidation is an effective method to weather iron in olivine.However, what must happen first to free the iron?

Accepted Answer

A) Root wedging to break up the olivine 
B) Melting of the olivine 
C) Dissolution of olivine 
D) Hydrolysis acting on the olivine 
A) Root wedging to break up the olivine 
B) Melting of the olivine 
C) Dissolution of olivine 
D) Hydrolysis acting on the olivine

Question 11

________ is considered the most influential control of soil formation

Accepted Answer

A) Parent material 
B) Plants 
C) Climate 
D) Time 
A) Parent material 
B) Plants 
C) Climate 
D) Time

Question 12

Which acid is commonly responsible for the dissolution of limestone?

Accepted Answer

A) Nitric 
B) Carbonic 
C) Sulfuric 
D) Hydrochloric 
A) Nitric 
B) Carbonic 
C) Sulfuric 
D) Hydrochloric

Question 13

An order has arrived that the original cube must be broken down into eight cubic pieces of marble, all of the same dimension of 6 square feet per cube.What is the total surface area of the marble now?

Accepted Answer

The cube has now been broken into eight

Question 14

Which soil formation characteristic will most strongly influence a soil when it is young? When it is old?

Accepted Answer

When a soil is young, the character of t

Question 15

What is the definition of eluviation?

Accepted Answer

A) Decayed organic material 
B) Accumulation of fine clay particles in a soil column 
C) Downward transportation of fine clay particles in a soil column 
D) The collective term for the O, A, E, and B horizons 
A) Decayed organic material 
B) Accumulation of fine clay particles in a soil column 
C) Downward transportation of fine clay particles in a soil column 
D) The collective term for the O, A, E, and B horizons

Question 16

Which of the following components makes up the largest percentage of most soils?

Accepted Answer

A) Mineral portion 
B) Pores filled with water 
C) Organic portion 
D) Pores filled with air 
A) Mineral portion 
B) Pores filled with water 
C) Organic portion 
D) Pores filled with air

Question 17

Because weathering involves the destruction of geologic materials, many people view the process as a bad thing.However, weathering can also be viewed as a positive process.Provide an example of one positive aspect of weathering that makes the processes not only important, but necessary.Explain.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary but can incl

Question 18

Soil develops in response to interactions between which Earth spheres?

Accepted Answer

A) Hydrosphere and atmosphere 
B) Geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere 
C) Geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere 
D) Biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere 
A) Hydrosphere and atmosphere 
B) Geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere 
C) Geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere 
D) Biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere

Question 19

Using the order of crystallization on the Bowen's reaction Series, rate the resistance of silicate minerals to chemical weathering.In other words, which mineral(s)weather first and why? And last?

Accepted Answer

Olivine, which forms at high temperature

Question 20

Explain how climate can affect the other four controls of soil formation.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary, but can include:
- Va

Exam 6: Weathering and Soil

Water expands when it freezes.

Why is soil a nonrenewable resource?

A soil's parent material can consist of weathered mineral matter.

Which weathering process is illustrated in this image?

A(n)________ is a common boundary where different parts of a system interact.

Thermal expansion and thermal contraction are two processes where the presence of heat will weather a rock, breaking it into smaller pieces.In which category of weathering would you expect to find thermal expansion and contraction? Why?

Which of the following is a good method to reduce soil erosion as a result of strong winds?

A vertical succession of soil horizons is called a soil profile.

Which of the following is not an agent of erosion?

Oxidation is an effective method to weather iron in olivine.However, what must happen first to free the iron?

________ is considered the most influential control of soil formation

Which acid is commonly responsible for the dissolution of limestone?

An order has arrived that the original cube must be broken down into eight cubic pieces of marble, all of the same dimension of 6 square feet per cube.What is the total surface area of the marble now?

Which soil formation characteristic will most strongly influence a soil when it is young? When it is old?

What is the definition of eluviation?

Which of the following components makes up the largest percentage of most soils?

Because weathering involves the destruction of geologic materials, many people view the process as a bad thing.However, weathering can also be viewed as a positive process.Provide an example of one positive aspect of weathering that makes the processes not only important, but necessary.Explain.

Soil develops in response to interactions between which Earth spheres?

Using the order of crystallization on the Bowen's reaction Series, rate the resistance of silicate minerals to chemical weathering.In other words, which mineral(s)weather first and why? And last?

Explain how climate can affect the other four controls of soil formation.

An Introduction to Geology

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Matter and Minerals

Magma, Igneous Rocks, and Intrusive Activity

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes

Earths Interior

Divergent Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

Mass Wasting

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Global Climate Change

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Energy and Mineral Resources

Touring Our Solar System

Filters