Question 1

A 100-year flood is more catastrophic than a 50-year flood.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

A river flowing through a region of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock cuts downward from a shale into a quartz sandstone after being rejuvenated by regional uplift.What difference would you see in the sediment load of the river?

Accepted Answer

A)  increased rock fragment content 
B)  increased black sand content 
C)  increased quartz sand content 
D)  increased dissolved mineral (ion) content 
A)  increased rock fragment content 
B)  increased black sand content 
C)  increased quartz sand content 
D)  increased dissolved mineral (ion) content

Question 3

The primary stream fed by tributaries within a drainage basin is termed a ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  lead stream 
B)  trunk stream 
C)  taproot stream 
D)  pirate stream 
A)  lead stream 
B)  trunk stream 
C)  taproot stream 
D)  pirate stream

Question 4

Geological evidence suggests that many millions of years ago,the Amazon flowed toward the west rather than the east.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Ephemeral streams ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment 
B)  have flowing water either episodically or during a portion of the year 
C)  have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy) 
D)  divert flow from streams they have intersected through stream erosion. 
A)  consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment 
B)  have flowing water either episodically or during a portion of the year 
C)  have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy) 
D)  divert flow from streams they have intersected through stream erosion.

Question 6

Which two of these factors set the stage for the 1889 Johnstown flood?

Accepted Answer

A)  poor design and "cutting corners" during construction 
B)  "cutting corners" during construction and heavy sedimentation filling in behind the dam 
C)  poor design and heavy sedimentation filling in behind the dam 
D)  poor design and obstruction of the spillway with debris 
A)  poor design and "cutting corners" during construction 
B)  "cutting corners" during construction and heavy sedimentation filling in behind the dam 
C)  poor design and heavy sedimentation filling in behind the dam 
D)  poor design and obstruction of the spillway with debris

Question 7

A meander that is cut off to become completely isolated from the main channel,but that retains water,is a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  meander neck 
B)  cut bank 
C)  oxbow lake 
D)  abandoned meander 
A)  meander neck 
B)  cut bank 
C)  oxbow lake 
D)  abandoned meander

Question 8

In the region immediately surrounding an isolated volcano,a ____________ drainage network is expected.

Accepted Answer

A)  dendritic 
B)  radial 
C)  rectangular 
D)  trellis 
A)  dendritic 
B)  radial 
C)  rectangular 
D)  trellis

Question 9

Ultimately,the base level of a stream valley can be no lower than ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the average elevation of the continent on which it is found 
B)  the level of water in the world's oceans 
C)  the average depths of the world's ocean basins 
A)  the average elevation of the continent on which it is found 
B)  the level of water in the world's oceans 
C)  the average depths of the world's ocean basins

Question 10

The inner edge of a meander,where sediment is deposited,is a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  meander neck 
B)  cut bank 
C)  point bar 
D)  abandoned meander 
A)  meander neck 
B)  cut bank 
C)  point bar 
D)  abandoned meander

Question 11

If you were studying the sediments along the beach and narrow continental shelf here,how could you tell that the river once flowed from the volcanoes straight out to the coast,instead of flowing somewhere inland as it does now?

Accepted Answer

A)  Look for mineral and rock clasts of volcanic origin in the newest sediments of the beach and continental shelf 
B)  Look for volcanic ash 
C)  Look for mineral and rock clasts of volcanic origin in the older sediments of the beach and continental shelf 
D)  Both a and b are correct. 
A)  Look for mineral and rock clasts of volcanic origin in the newest sediments of the beach and continental shelf 
B)  Look for volcanic ash 
C)  Look for mineral and rock clasts of volcanic origin in the older sediments of the beach and continental shelf 
D)  Both a and b are correct.

Question 12

All the water in rivers and streams arrives directly from rainfall runoff.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

If a stream cuts through flat-lying sediments to reach an anticline produced in an ancient orogenic event,the course of the stream will likely be unaffected.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The stream gradient of most rivers ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  is greater near the source than near the mouth 
B)  is greater near the mouth than near the source 
C)  does not change significantly as the river flows downstream 
D)  is greater for a meandering stream than for any other type 
A)  is greater near the source than near the mouth 
B)  is greater near the mouth than near the source 
C)  does not change significantly as the river flows downstream 
D)  is greater for a meandering stream than for any other type

Question 15

Within a meander,where is sediment most likely to be deposited?

Accepted Answer

A)  on the outer bank (cut bank) of the meander 
B)  on the inner bank (point bar) of the meander 
C)  uniformly to either side of the meander 
A)  on the outer bank (cut bank) of the meander 
B)  on the inner bank (point bar) of the meander 
C)  uniformly to either side of the meander

Question 16

Which has greater competence?

Accepted Answer

A)  a small, steep mountain stream 
B)  a broad, slow-flowing river 
A)  a small, steep mountain stream 
B)  a broad, slow-flowing river

Exam 14: Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

A 100-year flood is more catastrophic than a 50-year flood.

A river flowing through a region of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock cuts downward from a shale into a quartz sandstone after being rejuvenated by regional uplift.What difference would you see in the sediment load of the river?

The primary stream fed by tributaries within a drainage basin is termed a ____________.

Geological evidence suggests that many millions of years ago,the Amazon flowed toward the west rather than the east.

Ephemeral streams ____________.

Which two of these factors set the stage for the 1889 Johnstown flood?

A meander that is cut off to become completely isolated from the main channel,but that retains water,is a(n)____________.

In the region immediately surrounding an isolated volcano,a ____________ drainage network is expected.

Ultimately,the base level of a stream valley can be no lower than ____________.

The inner edge of a meander,where sediment is deposited,is a(n)____________.

If you were studying the sediments along the beach and narrow continental shelf here,how could you tell that the river once flowed from the volcanoes straight out to the coast,instead of flowing somewhere inland as it does now?

All the water in rivers and streams arrives directly from rainfall runoff.

If a stream cuts through flat-lying sediments to reach an anticline produced in an ancient orogenic event,the course of the stream will likely be unaffected.

The stream gradient of most rivers ____________.

Within a meander,where is sediment most likely to be deposited?

Which has greater competence?

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

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

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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