Deck 14: Weathering, Karst Landscapes, and Mass Movement

Question 1

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) returns to the conditions that existed prior to the crossing the threshold.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The concave lower portion of a typical slope is called a

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

Question 5

________ is a steep scarp or cliff whose presence indicates an outcrop of resistant rock.

A) Waning slope
B) Waxing slope
C) Debris slope
D) Free face

Question 6

Inclined surfaces that form the boundaries of landforms are known as

A) catchment.
B) slopes.
C) free face.
D) regolith.

Question 7

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

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

Question 8

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

A) friction.
B) the cohesion of particles to each other.
C) inertial resistance of the material.
D) friction, cohesion of particles, and intertial resistance.

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.

Question 10

The principle that landscape formation is balance between endogenic and exogenic processes is called

A) the dynamic equilibrium model.
B) uniformitarianism.
C) catostrophism.
D) steady state theory.

Question 11

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 12

A slope is ________ if its strength exceed denundation processes and ________ if its materials are weaker than denunadation processes.

A) stable; unstable
B) unstable; stable
C) in equilibrium; in disequilibrium
D) in disequilibrium; in equilibrium

Question 13

The uplift of mountains is caused by

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

Question 14

The consolidated or unconsolidated materials from which soils develop is known as

A) bedrock.
B) regolith.
C) parent material.
D) outcrop.

Question 15

Which of the following is not a denudation process?

A) weathering
B) erosion
C) orogeny
D) mass movement

Question 16

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

A) is constantly at a threshold condition.
B) is continuously adjusting to new conditions that develop.
C) is usually in a state of dynamic equilibrium.
D) is constantly at a threshold, continuously adjusting, and in a state of dynamic equilibrium.
E) is continuously adjusting, and in a state of dynamic equilibrium, but not constantly at a threshold.

Question 17

On a typical hillside, the consolidated rock overlain by loose surface material is known as

A) bedrock.
B) regolith.
C) parent material.
D) outcrop.

Question 18

The convex upper portion of a typical slope is called a

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

Question 19

Which of the following is not exogenic in nature?

A) weathering
B) erosion
C) denudation
D) tectonic uplift
E) mass wasting

Question 20

The process that breaks down rock at the Earth's surface through disintegration of rocks into mineral particles or dissolving it into water is known as

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

Question 21

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.

Question 22

When rock is broken down and disintegrated without any chemical alterations, the process in operation is

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

Question 23

Which of the following is correct regarding joints?

A) Joints are small, localized fault planes along which movement occurs.
B) Joint impede both physical and chemical weathering.
C) Joints decrease the amount of exposed surface area of rocks.
D) Joints are fractures in rock that occur without displacement on either side.

Question 24

Which of the following is not a type of physical weathering process?

A) exfoliation
B) hydrolysis
C) salt crystal growth
D) frost wedging

Question 25

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

A) oxidization.
B) exfoliation.
C) salt crystal growth.
D) frost wedging.

Question 26

A niche in sandstone, such as that in Arizona's Canyon de Chelly, is indicative of which weathering process?

A) exfoliation
B) carbonation
C) frost wedging
D) salt-crystal growth

Question 27

Salt-crystal growth (salt weathering) is an example of ________ weathering processes.

A) chemical
B) physical
C) biological
D) both biological and physical

Question 28

When pressure is removed from overlying rock, the pressure of deep burial is relieved, initiating pressure-release jointing. The joints then separate into curved slabs. This is known as

A) exfoliation.
B) frost wedging.
C) salt crystal growth.
D) spheroidal weathering.

Question 29

The weathering process responsible for breaking this marble is likely

A) exfoliation.
B) carbonation.
C) frost wedging.
D) salt-crystal growth.

Question 30

When the upper surface of consolidated rock undergoes constant weathering, it creates broken-up rock called

A) bedrock.
B) regolith.
C) parent material.
D) outcrop.

Question 31

Many of the Native American dwellings at Mesa Verde and elsewhere in the western United States are located under overhangs that form along the contact between permeable and impermeable rock layers. These overhangs (niches) were primarily created by what process?

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

Question 32

Factors influencing the weathering process include

A) the climate of an area.
B) rock composition and structure.
C) the amount of vegetation in an area.
D) rock composition and structure, climate, and vegetation.
E) only the climate of an area and rock composition.

Question 33

Exfoliation and pressure-release jointing are examples of ________ weathering processes.

A) chemical
B) physical
C) biological
D) both biological and physical

Question 34

Exfoliation occurs because

A) water combines with minerals and increases their size, thereby causing surrounding minerals to expand.
B) water freezes in joints and expands.
C) overlying rock is removed, thereby allowing the underlying rock mass to expand and fracture.
D) evaporated water leaves behind previously dissolved mineral to form crystals, which accumulate and grow over time, exerting pressure on the rock.

Question 35

In which climates would rocks experience the highest amounts of chemical decomposition and decay?

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

Question 36

Frost wedging is an example of ________ weathering processes.

A) chemical
B) physical
C) biological
D) both biological and chemical

Question 37

When rock is broken down and disintegrated in the presence of water and with chemical alterations to the rock, the process in operation is

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

Question 38

Salt-crystal growth (salt weathering) is prevalent in which climate type?

A) mesothermal
B) tropical
C) arid
D) polar

Question 39

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of

A) higher rainfall and temperatures.
B) lower rainfall and temperatures.
C) higher rainfall, but lower temperatures.
D) lower rainfall, but higher temperatures.

Question 40

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.

Question 41

When rainwater attacks formations of limestone, the minerals dissolve and wash away with the mildly acid rainwater. This is an example of

A) oxidation.
B) crystallization.
C) frost action.
D) carbonation.

Question 42

Continuing dissolution and collapse may lead the the coalescing of sinkholes to form a

A) disappearing stream.
B) rise.
C) doline.
D) karst valley.

Question 43

When rainwater attacks formations of limestone, the minerals dissolve and wash away with the mildly acid rainwater. This is an example of

A) oxidation.
B) crystallization.
C) frost action.
D) carbonation.

Question 44

The weathering of limestone can create circular depressions known as

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

Question 45

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 46

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

Question 47

Which of the following weathering processes does not involve water?

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

Question 48

These rounded granite outcrops are the result of which weathering process?

A) oxidation
B) hydration
C) spheroidal weathering
D) carbonation

Question 49

Weathering that softens and rounds the sharp edges and corners of jointed rock is known as

A) spheroidal weathering.
B) exfoliation.
C) hydration.
D) hydrolis.

Question 50

Hydrolis involves

A) the chemical reaction of water.
B) the addition of water with little chemical change.
C) frost action.
D) salt crystal growth from evaporation.

Question 51

Hydrolis, hydration, oxidation, and carbonation are all examples of ________ weathering processes.

A) physical
B) chemical
C) biological
D) physical and biological

Question 52

Rust, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water, is an example of

A) hydration.
B) frost wedging.
C) carbonation.
D) oxidation.

Question 53

Any large cave formed by chemical processes is a

A) cavern.
B) doline.
C) karst valley.
D) collapse sinkhole.

Question 54

Karst topography is formed primarily by

A) carbonation and solution.
B) mass wasting processes.
C) oxidation and hydrolysis.
D) exfoliation and hydration.

Question 55

Hydration involves

A) the chemical reaction of water.
B) the addition of water with little chemical change.
C) frost action.
D) salt crystal growth from evaporation.

Question 56

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 supply organic acids that enhance the dissolution process.
D) None of the above-plants play no role in the development of karst.

Question 57

Which of the following is not necessary for well-developed karst to develop?

A) high proportion of calcium carbonate in the rock
B) joints in rock of otherwise low permeability
C) vegetation
D) arid conditions

Question 58

A sinkhole that develops over a period of hours or days and forms from a collapse through the roof of an underground cavern is known as a

A) solution sinkhole.
B) collapse sinkhole.
C) doline.
D) karst valley.

Question 59

Extensive landscapes formed by the dissolution of limestone and other carbonate rock and characterized by pitted, bumpy surface topography, poor surface drainage, and well developed solutions channels are known as

A) plains.
B) basins.
C) karst topography.
D) high tablelands.

Question 60

Chemical weathering processes are particularly effective on limestone landscapes, forming

A) karst topography.
B) hydrolysis plains.
C) pressure-release jointing.
D) exfoliation domes and arch-like forms.

Question 61

The photograph is an example of a

A) talus slope.
B) debris avalanche.
C) mudflow.
D) landslide.

Question 62

A slow persistent mass movement of surface soil is called

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

Question 63

Which of the following can lead to the slope failure that causes mass movement?

A) saturation from rainfall
B) oversteepening of the slope
C) earthquakes
D) volcanic eruptions
E) saturation, oversteepening of slopes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Question 64

In the spring of 1925 in Jackson Hole, WY, about 37 million m³ of moisture-laden soil and rock moved down one side of the canyon and surge up the other side. This is an example of a(n)

A) rotational slide.
B) earthflow.
C) slump.
D) rockfall.

Question 65

The downslope movement of a body of material made up of soil, sediment, or rock propelled by the force of gravity is known as

A) lahar.
B) downslope flow.
C) mass movement.
D) slide.

Question 66

The angle of repose represent a balance between the driving force and resisting force. Which of the following is the driving force?

A) friction
B) shear
C) gravity
D) inertia

Question 67

Which of the following human activities can contribute to mass movement?

A) a roadcut
B) surface mining
C) residential and commercial development
D) any human disturbance of a slope, including roadcuts, surface mining, and development.

Question 68

Which of the following is not a class of mass movement?

A) fall
B) slide
C) slip
D) flow
E) creep

Question 69

The presence of talus slopes indicates that ________ occur.

A) planar slides
B) mudflow
C) creep
D) rockfall
E) slump

Question 70

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 71

The sudden rapid movement of an unsaturated cohesive mass of regolith or bedrock is a

A) rockfall.
B) mudflow.
C) debris avalanche.
D) landslide.

Question 72

A mass of falling and tumbling rock, debris, and soil traveling at a high velocity owing to the presence of ice or water is a

A) rockfall.
B) mudflow.
C) debris avalanche.
D) landslide.

Question 73

In polar and alpine regions, thawing and saturation of the upper layer of soil, resulting in a slow downslope movement called

A) transitional slide.
B) mudflow.
C) solifluction.
D) lahar.

Question 74

________ may form at the bottom of cockpits and may even be an important cause of cockpit karst topography.

A) River floodplains
B) Sinkholes
C) Stalactites
D) Grabens

Question 75

The maximum angle at which soil, sediment, and rock will remain without moving downslope (e.g. a stable slope) is the

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

Question 76

Which of the following is not an example of a dripstone?

A) stalagmite
B) stalactite
C) cockpits
D) soda straw

Question 77

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.

Question 78

The mass movement process responsible of the curved growing pattern in the trees and the downsloping leaning of the utility posts and fences is

A) debris avalanche.
B) soil creep.
C) landslide.
D) rockfall.

Question 79

Cones and cockpit karst develop in

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

Question 80

Which of the following are examples of dripstones?

A) stalactites
B) stalagmites
C) columns
D) stalactites, stalagmites, and columns are all examples of dripstones.
E) only stalactites and stalagmites are examples of dripstones.