Deck 13: Weathering and Mass Wasting

Question 1

Which of the following is most significant in the formation of a talus cone?

A)biological weathering
B)unloading
C)carbonation
D)oxidation
E)frost action

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The general term to describe land disturbances such as excavations and strip mining is:

A)disintegration
B)spoilage
C)tailings
D)dredging
E)scarification

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The permafrost table ________________.

A)is the upper surface of the active layer
B)includes the entire soil body of regions experiencing permafrost
C)is synonymous with the arctic water table
D)is the lowest portion of the body of permafrost
E)is the upper surface of permafrost

Answer 3

E

Question 4

________________ refers to large areas covered by angular,broken rock

A)alluvium
B)bedrock
C)felsenmeer
D)moraine
E)solifluction

Question 5

Accumulations of regolith at the foot of a slope are called ____________ .

A)earthflow
B)scarification
C)outcrop
D)colluvium
E)alluvium

Question 6

Which of the following types of mass movements is fastest and least dependent upon moist or saturated conditions?

A)solifluction
B)rock fall
C)slide
D)slump

Question 7

Slumping is an example of a _________________.

A)creep movement
B)earthflow movement
C)slide movement
D)fall movement
E)solifluction

Question 8

Which of the following indicates oxidation?

A)spheroidal weathering
B)red coloration of rocks and soil
C)joints in rocks being opened up freezing and thawing
D)the splitting of rocks by plant roots
E)mass wasting

Question 9

Niche formation is associated with which of the following types of weathering?

A)acid action
B)oxidation
C)frost action
D)salt-crystal growth
E)granular disintegration

Question 10

Which of the following types of weathering affects limestone and occurs predominantly in humid areas?

A)frost action
B)spheroidal weathering
C)acid action
D)eluviation
E)hydrolysis

Question 11

______________ occurs when the stress created by the freezing of water into ice becomes greater than the cohesive strength of the rock containing it.

A)frost heaving
B)frost creep
C)frost thrusting
D)frost wedging
E)frost action

Question 12

Unloading is also referred to as:

A)exfoliation
B)granular disintegration
C)hydrolysis
D)oxidation
E)acid action

Question 13

An earthflow characteristic of periglacial environments is referred to as a (an)_______________.

A)slump
B)solifluction
C)scarification
D)creep
E)felsenmeer

Question 14

Fractures in rocks where there is no relative movement are referred to as _____________.

A)talus
B)faults
C)joints
D)blocks
E)scree

Question 15

The extremely slow down-hill movement of soil and regolith is called _______________.

A)mass wasting
B)soil creep
C)solifluction
D)scarification
E)weathering

Question 16

Which of the following rocks and minerals would be most resistant to chemical weathering?

A)Quartz
B)Dolomite
C)Limestone
D)Calcite
E)Chalk

Question 17

Which of the following processes could result in an induced earthflow?

A)weak local geology
B)heavy prolonged rain
C)severe earthquake
D)piling of waste soil and rock in unstable accumulation
E)prolonged periods of dry conditions

Question 18

Which of the following may lead to the environmental degradation of permafrost?

A)deposition of sediments
B)addition of organic matter to the soil surface
C)removal of surface vegetation
D)growth of natural surface vegetation
E)all of the above

Question 19

Exfoliation is the result of which of the following processes?

A)biological weathering
B)unloading
C)carbonation
D)oxidation
E)frost action

Question 20

Salt crystal growth is associated with which of the following climates?

A)wet tropical climate
B)mid-latitude climates
C)arid desert climates
D)west coast humid climates
E)cold polar climates

Question 21

The gaps in permafrost are known as:

A)pingos
B)taliks
C)tailings
D)wedges
E)polygons

Question 22

Igneous and metamorphic rocks are particularly resistant to hydrolysis and oxidation.

Question 23

A conical mound with a core of ice found in periglacial regions is referred to as a:

A)pingo
B)talik
C)tailing
D)wedge
E)polygon

Question 24

Water is a major agent of weathering because of its property that,when it freezes,it decreases in density and _______________.

A)evaporates
B)turns white
C)expands in volume
D)stays in liquid form below 0° Celsius
E)dissolves salts

Question 25

Thermokarst is characterized by which of the following features?

A)patterned ground
B)thickened permafrost
C)stone polygons
D)depressions
E)pingos

Question 26

A solution of water and carbon dioxide produces _____________ which can easily dissolve __________________.

A)carbonic acid,limestone
B)carbonic acid,granite
C)fizz water,clastic sedimentary rocks
D)hydrogen peroxide,limestone
E)greenhouse gases,metal

Question 27

Landslides can be responsible for the formation of

A)lakes
B)reverse faults
C)hydrolysis
D)jointing
E)debris floods

Question 28

Which of the following types of permafrost may be found under lakes or rivers?

A)continuous permafrost
B)discontinuous permafrost
C)alpine permafrost
D)sub-sea permafrost
E)sporadic permafrost

Question 29

Human activities can _____________ mass wasting in forms ranging from mudflow and earthflow to landslide.

A)change
B)predict
C)hinder
D)induce
E)none of the above

Question 30

The sorting of surface pebbles and cobbles on slopes in periglacial regions results in:

A)stone nets
B)stone polygons
C)stone rings
D)stone stripes
E)stone wedges

Question 31

____________ is the general term applied to the combined action of all processes that cause rock to disintegrate physically and decompose chemically because of exposure near the earth's surface.

A)Erosion
B)Mass wasting
C)Weathering
D)Soil creep
E)Talus

Question 32

The rock waste associated with land disturbances such as excavations and strip mining is referred to as:

A)tailings
B)scree
C)talus
D)regolith
E)alluvium

Question 33

The strata covering resources such as coal that is being removed in strip mining is known as the:

A)tailings
B)scree
C)spoil
D)regolith
E)overburden

Question 34

Polluted urban air may be more acidic leading to more rapid chemical weathering.

Question 35

The zone of permafrost south of discontinuous permafrost in which occasional patches of permafrost occur is referred to as:

A)continuous permafrost
B)discontinuous permafrost
C)alpine permafrost
D)sub-sea permafrost
E)sporadic permafrost

Question 36

The patterning on the ground surface in periglacial regions associated with silty alluvium such as found in floodplains is referred to as:

A)solifluction ground
B)pingos
C)ice-wedge polygons
D)thermokarst
E)thermal erosion

Question 37

__________________ is the source for sediment,which may be transformed into soil.

A)Bedrock
B)Granite rock
C)Alluvium
D)Regolith
E)colluvium

Question 38

Permafrost associated with high elevations is referred to as:

A)continuous permafrost
B)discontinuous permafrost
C)alpine permafrost
D)sub-sea permafrost
E)sporadic permafrost

Question 39

Water penetrating into rock and soil promotes chemical weathering by acting as a weak

A)acid
B)base
C)saline solution
D)neutral agent
E)none of the above

Question 40

Salt crystallization involves the deposition and growth of salt,calcite or gypsum which can break rocks apart grain by grain.

Question 41

Alpine permafrost is restricted to elevations at which the mean annual temperature is below freezing.

Question 42

Regolith that is transported by running water is termed Colluvium.

Question 43

Stone polygons commonly form in silty alluvium associated with river floodplains and delta plain in periglacial regions.

Question 44

Removal of the surface layer of soil and vegetation in periglacial regions results in thermal erosion and thermokarst.

Question 45

Describe and explain the different forms of mass wasting.

Question 46

The term "slope" designates a small strip or patch of the land surface that is inclined.

Question 47

Describe and explain the different forms of physical weathering.

Question 48

Solifluction results in the slow gradual bending of layered rock strata such as shales or slates.

Question 49

Using either a recent example from the news or a historic case study,describe the events that lead up to and occur during a landslide.

Question 50

Soil Creep is the term used to describe the very slow downhill movement of soil and regolith.

Question 51

Compare and contrast the features of natural mass wasting to the impacts of scarification.

Question 52

Describe and explain the relative location of different forms of permafrost.

Question 53

Landslides are triggered by heavy rains rather than earthquakes or sudden rock failures.

Question 54

Use an example from your own region to describe the effects of scarification on the landscape.

Question 55

Mass wasting in which water saturated soil and regolith slowly flows downhill is referred to as an earthflow.

Question 56

Describe the characteristics and formation of ice wedges and ice-wedge polygons.

Question 57

Describe and explain the formation of stone polygons with particular reference to sorting and slope gradient.

Question 58

Continuous permafrost and sporadic permafrost occur at the highest latitudes of periglacial regions.

Question 59

Compare and contrast the features of weathering associated with moist and arid climates.

Question 60

Using an annotated diagram,describe a vegetation slope and the factors that might contribute to mass wasting.