Question 1

Why is understanding the hydrologic cycle so important to understanding how landscapes form?

Accepted Answer

A)  because water has the ability to seep underground and affect the layers of rock 
B)  because the oceans cover a vast majority of our planet and are a main erosional agent 
C)  because the rate at which groundwater moves through the subsurface determines erosion rates 
D)  because water is the main erosional and depositional agent on Earth 
A)  because water has the ability to seep underground and affect the layers of rock 
B)  because the oceans cover a vast majority of our planet and are a main erosional agent 
C)  because the rate at which groundwater moves through the subsurface determines erosion rates 
D)  because water is the main erosional and depositional agent on Earth D

Question 2

Why do scientists believe there was once liquid water on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  Depositional landforms are seen on Mars, but not erosional landforms. 
B)  Landforms such as river channels and sandbars are seen on Mars. 
C)  Large depressions are seen on Mars that were once large lakes. 
D)  There has been evidence of marine life found in the rocks on Mars. 
A)  Depositional landforms are seen on Mars, but not erosional landforms. 
B)  Landforms such as river channels and sandbars are seen on Mars. 
C)  Large depressions are seen on Mars that were once large lakes. 
D)  There has been evidence of marine life found in the rocks on Mars. B

Question 3

How does water get from the atmosphere into the groundwater system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Precipitation falls into rivers and then flows downriver into the groundwater system. 
B)  Precipitation falls on the ground and infiltrates into the ground surface to fill pores and fractures. 
C)  Water from the ocean is sucked up into the groundwater system due to a pressure difference. 
D)  Plants secrete water into the groundwater system in a process called evapotranspiration. 
A)  Precipitation falls into rivers and then flows downriver into the groundwater system. 
B)  Precipitation falls on the ground and infiltrates into the ground surface to fill pores and fractures. 
C)  Water from the ocean is sucked up into the groundwater system due to a pressure difference. 
D)  Plants secrete water into the groundwater system in a process called evapotranspiration. B

Question 4

What type of landforms might you expect to find if the climate in an area is very warm and wet?

Accepted Answer

A)  valleys 
B)  glacial hills 
C)  mesas 
D)  sand dunes 
A)  valleys 
B)  glacial hills 
C)  mesas 
D)  sand dunes

Question 5

If erosion is occurring in an area of weak rock,what would you expect the landscape to look like?

Accepted Answer

A)  gentle hills 
B)  steep cliffs 
C)  uplifted terraces 
D)  deep canyons 
A)  gentle hills 
B)  steep cliffs 
C)  uplifted terraces 
D)  deep canyons

Question 6

The following is a picture of a landform on Mars.What feature in this picture indicates that Mars may have had running water some time in the past?

Accepted Answer

A)  deeply cut channels formed by a flowing river 
B)  large sandbars likely formed by a sediment-choked river 
C)  depressions formed during collapse of sinkholes 
D)  a large flat expanse of land, likely a river floodplain 
A)  deeply cut channels formed by a flowing river 
B)  large sandbars likely formed by a sediment-choked river 
C)  depressions formed during collapse of sinkholes 
D)  a large flat expanse of land, likely a river floodplain

Question 7

Which progression best describes how water goes from the ocean to a river?

Accepted Answer

A)  evaporation à precipitation à infiltration into the ground 
B)  evaporation à precipitation à runoff 
C)  evaporation à precipitation à evapotranspiration 
D)  evapotranspiration à runoff à precipitation 
A)  evaporation à precipitation à infiltration into the ground 
B)  evaporation à precipitation à runoff 
C)  evaporation à precipitation à evapotranspiration 
D)  evapotranspiration à runoff à precipitation

Question 8

The Sierra Nevada Mountains in California are composed almost entirely of granite; what do you expect the landscape to look like?

Accepted Answer

A)  steep peaks and cliffs 
B)  gentle hills and valleys 
C)  large expanses of flatlands 
D)  open floodplains 
A)  steep peaks and cliffs 
B)  gentle hills and valleys 
C)  large expanses of flatlands 
D)  open floodplains

Question 9

What is the ultimate control of the development of the landscape in the following picture?

Accepted Answer

A)  climate 
B)  animal activity 
C)  time 
D)  relief 
A)  climate 
B)  animal activity 
C)  time 
D)  relief

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the hydrologic cycle?

Accepted Answer

A)  the movement of water through the ground to form aquifers 
B)  the cycle that water passes through when going from solid to liquid to gas 
C)  the circular motion due to density differences created when water boils 
D)  the movement of Earth's water through a series of reservoirs 
A)  the movement of water through the ground to form aquifers 
B)  the cycle that water passes through when going from solid to liquid to gas 
C)  the circular motion due to density differences created when water boils 
D)  the movement of Earth's water through a series of reservoirs

Question 11

If an area experiences uplift it will form a _____________,if it experiences subsidence it will form a _______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  depression; mountain 
B)  mountain; depression 
C)  valley; mesa 
D)  basin; mountain 
A)  depression; mountain 
B)  mountain; depression 
C)  valley; mesa 
D)  basin; mountain

Question 12

Below is a digital elevation model of Mars.What process is responsible for creating the Valles Marineris?

Accepted Answer

A)  glacial carving 
B)  deposition 
C)  erosion 
D)  burrowing 
A)  glacial carving 
B)  deposition 
C)  erosion 
D)  burrowing

Question 13

Which of the following does NOT affect landscape development?

Accepted Answer

A)  distance from source 
B)  climate in the area 
C)  amount of time 
D)  amount of erosion 
A)  distance from source 
B)  climate in the area 
C)  amount of time 
D)  amount of erosion

Question 14

What circumstance is likely to produce depositional landforms?

Accepted Answer

A)  flash flooding of a river in the desert 
B)  a river flowing out of a lake 
C)  a river entering a large body of water 
D)  ocean waves crashing on the beach 
A)  flash flooding of a river in the desert 
B)  a river flowing out of a lake 
C)  a river entering a large body of water 
D)  ocean waves crashing on the beach

Question 15

What would an area experiencing erosion look like compared to one experiencing deposition?

Accepted Answer

A)  deep valleys or canyons versus large flat, open areas 
B)  large sand dunes versus large open bodies of water 
C)  rolling hills versus steep peaks 
D)  large, dry flatlands versus deep river channels. 
A)  deep valleys or canyons versus large flat, open areas 
B)  large sand dunes versus large open bodies of water 
C)  rolling hills versus steep peaks 
D)  large, dry flatlands versus deep river channels.

Question 16

What process created the terrace that forms the cliff in the picture below?

Accepted Answer

A)  subsidence 
B)  deposition 
C)  uplift 
D)  relief 
A)  subsidence 
B)  deposition 
C)  uplift 
D)  relief

Question 17

Why does some life activity strengthen the substrate while others weaken it?

Accepted Answer

A)  Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, while plants digest and weaken soil. 
B)  Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, while plant roots wedge soil apart. 
C)  Plant roots help anchor soil, while burrowing into or mining out soil weakens it. 
D)  Some organisms secrete a binding agent in the soil, while plants digest and weaken soil. 
A)  Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, while plants digest and weaken soil. 
B)  Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, while plant roots wedge soil apart. 
C)  Plant roots help anchor soil, while burrowing into or mining out soil weakens it. 
D)  Some organisms secrete a binding agent in the soil, while plants digest and weaken soil.

Question 18

Which of the following mountain ranges is likely composed of soft material?  
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Accepted Answer

A)  Figure 1 
B)  Figure 2 
C)  Figure 3 
D)  Figure 4 
A)  Figure 1 
B)  Figure 2 
C)  Figure 3 
D)  Figure 4

Question 19

If two valleys are composed of the exact same type of material and under the exact same climactic conditions,what would the older valley look like compared to the younger?

Accepted Answer

A)  The older valley would have steep sides, the younger would have gentle sides. 
B)  The younger valley would have steep sides, the older would have gentle sides. 
C)  The older valley would contain many more depositional features than the younger. 
D)  The younger valley would contain many more depositional features than the older. 
A)  The older valley would have steep sides, the younger would have gentle sides. 
B)  The younger valley would have steep sides, the older would have gentle sides. 
C)  The older valley would contain many more depositional features than the younger. 
D)  The younger valley would contain many more depositional features than the older.

Question 20

How does climate affect landscape development?

Accepted Answer

A)  controls the composition of the substrate 
B)  controls the amount of water available on Earth 
C)  controls the resistance of the sediments deposited 
D)  controls the amount of running water or ice 
A)  controls the composition of the substrate 
B)  controls the amount of water available on Earth 
C)  controls the resistance of the sediments deposited 
D)  controls the amount of running water or ice

Exam 25: An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Why is understanding the hydrologic cycle so important to understanding how landscapes form?

Why do scientists believe there was once liquid water on Mars?

How does water get from the atmosphere into the groundwater system?

What type of landforms might you expect to find if the climate in an area is very warm and wet?

If erosion is occurring in an area of weak rock,what would you expect the landscape to look like?

The following is a picture of a landform on Mars.What feature in this picture indicates that Mars may have had running water some time in the past?

Which progression best describes how water goes from the ocean to a river?

The Sierra Nevada Mountains in California are composed almost entirely of granite; what do you expect the landscape to look like?

What is the ultimate control of the development of the landscape in the following picture?

Which of the following best describes the hydrologic cycle?

If an area experiences uplift it will form a _____________,if it experiences subsidence it will form a _______________.

Below is a digital elevation model of Mars.What process is responsible for creating the Valles Marineris?

Which of the following does NOT affect landscape development?

What circumstance is likely to produce depositional landforms?

What would an area experiencing erosion look like compared to one experiencing deposition?

What process created the terrace that forms the cliff in the picture below?

Why does some life activity strengthen the substrate while others weaken it?

Which of the following mountain ranges is likely composed of soft material? Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

If two valleys are composed of the exact same type of material and under the exact same climactic conditions,what would the older valley look like compared to the younger?

How does climate affect landscape development?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Filters

If an area experiences uplift it will form a _,if it experiences subsidence it will form a ___.