Deck 13: Weathering, Karst Landscapes, and Mass Movement

Question 1

The dynamic equilibrium model refers to

A)a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation by weathering and erosion in a given landscape.
B)a theory involving the cyclic or evolutionary development of a landscape.
C)a sequential development of landforms.
D)an important concept first stated by William Morris Davis.
E)a landscape where rocks are balanced in delicate arches.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Conflicting forces work to establish an optimum incline on a slope.When any of these conditions are disturbed or altered the materials on the slope reach a

A)condition of static equilibrium.
B)condition of metastable equilibrium at the time of disturbance.
C)geomorphic cycle.
D)geomorphic threshold,or change point.
E)chaotic adjustment.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

A)volcanic eruptions - endogenic
B)tectonic uplift - endogenic
C)heavy rainfall - exogenic
D)weathering and erosion - exogenic
E)denudation - endogenic

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The science that specifically studies the origin,evolution,form,and spatial distribution of landforms is

A)geology.
B)geography.
C)geomorphology.
D)environmental chemistry.
E)astronomy

Question 5

Because the climate of a region slowly changes and tectonic adjustments slowly occur,the landscape

A)is constantly at a threshold condition.
B)is episodically adjusting to new conditions that develop.
C)is usually in a state of dynamic equilibrium.
D)is in chaos.
E)continually denudes.

Question 6

The convex upper portion of a typical slope is called a

A)pediment.
B)debris slope.
C)waxing slope.
D)free face.
E)waning slope.

Question 7

Which of the following is correct?

A)the town of Nevado Huascarán was engulfed by debris avalanches.
B)continuing rockfalls plague Calgary,AB.
C)an earthquake triggered a mudflow on the Madison River Canyon in 1959.
D)the 1959 Alaskan earthquake triggered massive soil creep onto the Cascade Glacier.
E)solifluction is a continuing problem in Arizona.

Question 8

Scarification

A)is a type of denudation in which the mass movement is caused by humans rather than by gravity.
B)is a process that results in scratches or grooves being worn into limestone.
C)is a type of weathering in which wind drives material across a rock surface causing scrapes.
D)results from the flow of water into large grooves in limestone terranes.
E)causes a decrease in the rate of denudation.

Question 9

All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term

A)mass movement.
B)erosion.
C)weathering.
D)denudation.
E)deflation

Question 10

If Earth did not experience endogenic processes,the landscape would

A)be rugged and of great relief as a result of uplift in the absence of weathering and erosion.
B)consist of high mountains and hills with smooth,gentle slopes.
C)be of very low relief as a result of weathering and erosion in the absence of uplift.

Question 11

In reality,a landscape behaves as

A)a closed system.
B)an open system.
C)an evolutionary model changing in a sequence of stages that is the same everywhere on Earth.
D)a closed system in terms of energy and an open system in terms of matter.
E)an open system in terms of energy and a closed system in terms of matter.

Question 12

If material is to move downslope,it must overcome the force of

A)gravity.
B)the repulsion of particles from each other.
C)friction and the inertial resistance of the material.
D)air pressure

Question 13

All other factors being equal,landscapes of great relief experience

A)faster rates of landform change than those of low relief.
B)slower rates of landform change than those of low relief.
C)the same rate of landform change as those of low relief.

Question 14

After a threshold is crossed,the landscape

A)remains unstable thereafter.
B)adjusts to a new equilibrium condition.
C)looks identical to the landscape that existed prior to the crossing of the threshold.
D)responds to a completely different set of driving forces.

Question 15

Which of the following is not exogenic in nature?

A)weathering
B)erosion
C)denudation
D)batholith formation
E)mass wasting

Question 16

Consider the butte shown below,which is made of sedimentary rock.

What accounts for the fact that the slope angles are different in rock units A and B?

A)gravity acts unevenly on the slopes.
B)the slopes in A receive more rainfall than the slopes in B.
C)the lack of cohesion among particles in unit B makes it compress.
D)unit A has a greater resistance to particle motion than does unit B.
E)unit B is less resistant to erosion than unit A.

Question 17

Uplift of the landscape creates ________ energy which is converted to ________ energy when materials begin to move downslope.

A)kinetic potential
B)potential kinetic
C)potential chemical
D)kinetic chemical
E)chemical potential

Question 18

The uplift of mountains is caused by

A)endogenic processes.
B)aggradation.
C)denudation.
D)exogenic forces.
E)mass movement

Question 19

Movement at the geomorphic threshold signals

A)a conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy.
B)a conversion of kinetic energy to chemical energy.
C)frictional resistance overcoming the degree of cohesion.
D)a lack of change.
E)a conversion of chemical energy to potential energy.

Question 20

Endogenic forces are responsible for ________ and result from ________.

A)uplift weathering
B)uplift heat generated within Earth's interior
C)weathering chemical and physical processes acting at Earth's surface
D)weathering climate factors and agents of transportation

Question 21

Which of the following is true of joints?

A)joints are small,localized fault planes along which movement occurs.
B)joints prevent more water from moving through the ground.
C)joints enhance the rate of weathering.
D)joints prevent water from entering the rock.
E)joints reduce the amount of surface area that weathering can work on.

Question 22

The large sheets of rock that break off batholiths,such as Half Dome in Yosemite National Park,develop as a result of

A)exfoliation.
B)mineral expansion.
C)salt crystal growth.
D)frost wedging.
E)solution

Question 23

Other than the rock itself,the most important chemical substance needed for the majority of weathering processes is

A)oxygen.
B)nitrogen.
C)water.
D)carbon dioxide.
E)carbonic acid

Question 24

You would expect only slight physical and chemical weathering under conditions of

A)lower mean annual rainfall and temperatures.
B)temperatures below freezing.
C)higher temperatures and lower precipitation.
D)extreme cold and high precipitation.
E)extreme heat and no precipitation.

Question 25

Hydration involves

A)a chemical weathering process.
B)swelling and stress within a rock as it absorbs water.
C)frost action.
D)the action of wind.
E)the growth of salt crystals.

Question 26

The disintegration and dissolving of surface and subsurface rock in place is called

A)erosion.
B)mass movement.
C)landmass denudation.
D)weathering.
E)incision

Question 27

The fact that water expands as much as 9 percent of its volume as it freezes is the basis of

A)chemical weathering processes.
B)pressure-release jointing.
C)crystallization.
D)frost wedging.
E)spheroidal weathering

Question 28

Which portions of a slope overlap substantially?

A)waxing slope and waning slope
B)waxing slope and free face
C)free face and debris slope
D)debris slope and waning slope
E)free face and waning slope

Question 29

Which of the following is a type of physical weathering process?

A)pressure-release jointing
B)hydrolysis
C)oxidation
D)carbonation
E)dissolution

Question 30

In most areas,the upper surface of bedrock is partially weathered to broken-up rock called

A)parent rock.
B)bedrock.
C)sediment.
D)regolith.
E)dirt.

Question 31

When rock is broken and disintegrated without dissolving,the process in operation is

A)physical weathering.
B)chemical weathering.
C)hydrolysis.
D)carbonation.
E)oxidation.

Question 32

On which part of a slope would rocks tend to fall at the highest speeds?

A)waning slope
B)waxing slope
C)debris slope
D)free face
E)pediment

Question 33

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of

A)higher mean annual rainfall and temperatures.
B)lower mean annual rainfall and temperatures.
C)temperatures below freezing.
D)rainfall of less than 25 cm per year.
E)lower mean annual rainfall and higher temperatures.

Question 34

Exfoliation occurs because

A)water combines with minerals and increases their size,thereby causing surrounding minerals to pop out of the rock matrix.
B)water freezes in joints and expands.
C)overlying rock is removed,thereby allowing the underlying rock mass to expand and fracture.
D)water dissolves minerals and carries them away changing the shape of the rock.
E)metallic elements in rock combine with oxygen to form oxides that are much weaker than the parent rock.

Question 35

Which type of weathering is primarily found in arid environments?

A)exfoliation
B)frost wedging
C)hydrolysis
D)salt crystal growth
E)carbonic acid solution

Question 36

Which of the following is true of spheroidal weathering?

A)it is a physical weathering process.
B)it is a type of exfoliation associated with pressure release.
C)it attacks the corners and edges of rocks.
D)it results from salt crystal growth.
E)it occurs when metal in the rock mixes with oxygen to form oxides.

Question 37

In which climates would rock be weathered to the greatest depth?

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)hot and wet
D)hot and dry

Question 38

Which of the following weathering processes does not involve water?

A)hydration
B)hydrolysis
C)crystallization
D)carbonation
E)pressure-release jointing

Question 39

The dramatic domes and arch-shaped features found in granitic mountain masses result from

A)solution processes.
B)frost-wedging.
C)pressure-release jointing,and sheeting.
D)spheroidal weathering.
E)frost action

Question 40

The concave lower portion of a typical slope is called a

A)waning slope.
B)pediment.
C)debris slope.
D)free face.
E)waxing slope.

Question 41

Cave formations develop from the precipitation of

A)calcite.
B)halite.
C)phosphate.
D)sulfate.
E)hematite

Question 42

Which of the following are the principal active agents involved in chemical weathering?

A)oxygen,silicon,aluminum
B)magnesium,water,limestone
C)water,oxygen,carbon dioxide
D)nitrogen,oxygen,argon
E)nitrogen,oxygen,carbon dioxide

Question 43

A landscape example of chemical weathering is

A)exfoliation dome.
B)the breakdown of rocks by freezing and thawing.
C)the wearing away of a stream bank by a river.
D)karst topography.
E)felsenmeer.

Question 44

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)Krs Plateau - Yugoslavia
B)developed karst - about 55 percent of Earth's land area
C)limestone - at least 20 percent calcium carbonate content
D)developed karst - patterns of joints in granite
E)tower karst - Yemen

Question 45

Which of the following is true of hydrolysis?

A)it involves carbonate minerals.
B)it involves the chemical reaction of water with a mineral.
C)it can produce boulders.
D)it is a physical weathering process.
E)it works best in arid environments.

Question 46

The weathering of limestone can create circular depressions known as

A)uvalas.
B)stalactites.
C)sinkholes.
D)caverns.
E)sastrugi

Question 47

Concrete that is buried below the ground will usually weather faster than that above ground.This is because

A)carbonic acid solution attacks the concrete.
B)water is less abundant in the soil.
C)exfoliation is more likely to occur below ground level.
D)hydrolysis works more quickly below ground.
E)mechanical weathering works faster below the soil surface.

Question 48

Plants are important to the development of karst primarily because

A)openings adjacent to their roots serve as microchannels that allow water to enter the rock.
B)the decay of large roots below the surface produces cavities which eventually enlarge to form caves.
C)they produce acids.
D)plants play no role in the development of karst.
E)they protect the surface so that solution can happen beneath.

Question 49

The material from which stalactites and other cave formations develop is derived from

A)halite that was dissolved from the overlying rock as groundwater flowed through it and then precipitated when the water evaporated.
B)various types of gases in the cave,which sublimate to form a solid.
C)calcite that was dissolved from the overlying rock as groundwater flowed through it and then precipitated when the water evaporated.
D)calcite that sublimates from air trapped within the cave when temperatures fall below a certain level-about -10°C.
E)phosphates that were carried into the cave by groundwater and then precipitated as the groundwater evaporated.

Question 50

Oxidation can produce

A)limestone.
B)hematite.
C)salt.
D)gypsum.
E)pumice

Question 51

The hills which form cockpit karst are separated from one another by

A)river floodplains.
B)sinkholes.
C)stalactites.
D)grabens.
E)sills

Question 52

Karst topography is formed primarily by

A)carbonation and solution.
B)mass wasting processes.
C)oxidation and hydrolysis.
D)exfoliation and hydration.
E)frost action over vast areas.

Question 53

Which of the following countries is noted for its spectacular tower karst?

A)Russia
B)Canada
C)China
D)France
E)Australia

Question 54

Hydrolysis involves

A)no actual chemical change in minerals.
B)water being added to a mineral leading to swelling and stress in rock.
C)water reacting with minerals.
D)hydraulic action of water between rocks.
E)water combining with carbon dioxide to form a weak acid.

Question 55

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)stalagmite - formation hanging from a cave ceiling
B)sinkhole - sill
C)karst towers - formations created by the merging of stalactites and stalagmites
D)complex landscape of intersecting dolines - cockpit karst
E)soda straws - formations built up from the cave floor.

Question 56

Chemical weathering processes are particularly effective on limestone landscapes,forming

A)karst topography.
B)hydrolysis plains.
C)complex patterns over only 5 percent of Earth's land area.
D)exfoliation domes and arch-like forms.
E)felsenmeer.

Question 57

Tower karst and cockpit karst develop in

A)cold,midlatitude climates.
B)arid regions.
C)wet tropical areas.
D)polar regions.
E)hot deserts

Question 58

Volcanic ash deposits composed of maficminerals sometimes develop a very distinctive reddish-orange colour after weathering at the surface.This colouration results from the

A)hydration of silica in the ash.
B)hydration of iron in the ash.
C)oxidation of silica in the ash.
D)oxidation of iron in the ash.
E)solution of carbonate in the ash.

Question 59

The yellow-red stains that occur on some rock surfaces are the result of ________ which is a form of ________ weathering.

A)hydration physical
B)hydration chemical
C)solution chemical
D)oxidation physical
E)oxidation chemical

Question 60

Which of the following is necessary for well-developed karst to develop?

A)high proportion of calcium carbonate in the rock
B)massive,low permeability rock.
C)no vegetation
D)arid conditions
E)freezing temperatures for much of the year.

Question 61

In 1973,part of the flat ground on which a subdivision was located became saturated and began to flow toward the Saint Lawrence River at speeds of up to 26 km · h⁻¹.The ground that flowed consisted of silts and clays-not large,rocky regolith.What type of mass wasting event was this?

A)debris avalanche
B)soil creep
C)earthflow
D)lahar
E)solifluction

Question 62

The presence of talus slopes indicates that ________ occur and that the area near them is ________ for real estate development.

A)planar slides safe
B)planar slides unsafe
C)rock falls safe
D)rock falls unsafe
E)earthflows unsafe

Question 63

What event occurred in the Madison River Canyon in 1959?

A)a massive volcanic eruption
B)a collapse in a large cavern
C)intense thunderstorms and flooding
D)an earthquake triggered a massive landslide
E)a major river flooded.

Question 64

In the Andes Mountains of South America,entire towns of thousands of people have been buried suddenly when water and loose materials traveled downhill as a viscous fluid.This type of catastrophic event is known as a

A)lahar.
B)slump.
C)rock fall.
D)slide.
E)debris avalanche.

Question 65

Which of the following can lead to hillslope failure?

A)making a roadcut in the side of a hill
B)decreasing the slope angle
C)excessively watering at the base of a slope
D)bridge construction activities
E)sediment movement in a stream

Question 66

One side of a sand dune is typically steeper than the other side.The steepest slope is controlled by the angle of repose for sand and most materials,which is about

A)5°.
B)15°.
C)34°.
D)78°.
E)89°.

Question 67

Which of the following might be expected to occur in either an ash-covered,mountainous,volcanic region following a heavy rain or a snow covered,mountainous,volcanic region following a volcanic eruption?

A)lahar
B)slump
C)rockslide
D)creep
E)debris avalanche

Question 68

The most common type of mass movement in a moderately sloped and dry environment is

A)a debris avalanche.
B)soil creep.
C)a soil slide.
D)a rockfall.
E)mudflow

Question 69

The dynamic equilibrium model of landscape evolution emphasizes a balance among forces,form,and process-rather than cyclical stages of development.

Question 70

The town of Frank,Alberta

A)experienced a devastating slide at the beginning of the twentieth century that resulted in more than 70 deaths and the relocation of the town.
B)is a tourist attraction for the large caves and caverns located nearby.
C)was buried by a mudflow after a heavy rain on snow event.
D)is famous for the large quarry nearby from which marble is excavated.
E)is a karst landscape with both tower karst and cockpit karst.

Question 71

Landslides occur when

A)a threshold is reached.
B)the internal friction is overcome by the force of frictional resistance.
C)resisting forces exceed driving forces.
D)gravity overcomes the weight of the material.
E)the weight of the rock overcomes gravity.

Question 72

The steepness of a slope made of loose material is called the

A)height of the slope.
B)angle of repose.
C)mass movement gradient.
D)speed of the particles.
E)declination.

Question 73

A landslide differs from a debris avalanche in that

A)the materials in a landslide are not saturated with water.
B)the materials in a debris avalanche are not saturated with water.
C)a landslide moves much more slowly than a debris avalanche.
D)a landslide moves much more quickly than a debris avalanche.

Question 74

All unit movement of materials propelled and controlled by gravity are referred to as

A)lahars.
B)downslope flows.
C)mass movements.
D)slides.
E)heaves.

Question 75

A translational slide involves

A)rotational movement of surface material.
B)movement of surface material along a planar surface.
C)unconsolidated flow of material.
D)mudflow.
E)the slow downslope movement of saturated material.

Question 76

Human-induced mass movements produce a category of processes known as

A)debris flows.
B)denudation.
C)scarification.
D)translational slides.
E)mudflows

Question 77

Which of the following occurred on the west face of Nevado Huascaran in Peru in 1962 and again in 1970?

A)a massive translational slide
B)massive rock falls
C)debris avalanches devastated the towns below.
D)a massive rotational slump sent water from a reservoir down the canyon to inundate a town.
E)the towns at the base were covered by solifluction.

Question 78

If you have ever played on a beach and made a sand castle,you used wet sand rather than dry sand.You did this because the ________ of wet sand is greater than that of dry sand.

A)angle of repose
B)friction
C)gravity
D)collapse
E)kinetic energy

Question 79

The balancing act between tectonic uplift and reduction of the landscape by weathering and erosion,and between the resistance of crust materials and the attack of denudation processes,is summarized in the dynamic equilibrium model.

Question 80

A slow persistent mass movement of surface soil is called

A)a debris avalanche.
B)soil creep.
C)a soil slide.
D)a rockfall.
E)mudflow