Deck 6: Weathering, Erosion, and Soil

Question 1

Thermal expansion and contraction occur because rock is an excellent conductor of heat.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Water molecules ____.

A)consist of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms
B)easily dissolve most minerals when the water is pure
C)have an asymmetric shape
D)and carbon dioxide combine to form calcite
E)do not play a role in separating ions in a solution

Answer 2

have an asymmetric shape

Question 3

Pressure release weathering results in ____.

A)sheet joints
B)bauxite
C)regolith
D)humus
E)talus

Answer 3

sheet joints

Question 4

Frost action is most effective ____.

A)in high mountains
B)where the temperature rarely drops below freezing
C)where Earth materials are permanently frozen
D)where temperature has little fluctuation
E)in low canyons

Question 5

Pressure release occurs when ____.

A)the climate is hot and humid
B)ice freezes and creates cracks in rocks
C)rocks heat up and cool down
D)rocks are uplifted and eroded
E)there is faulting and seismic activity

Question 6

Frost action involving water repeatedly freezing and thawing in cracks and pores in rocks is a type of chemical weathering.

Question 7

Weathering is classified as either mechanical or ____.

A)carbolic
B)inorganic
C)chemical
D)hydrolytic
E)physical

Question 8

Erosion is the ____.

A)movement of weathered material from its source site
B)decomposition of soil
C)disintegration of rock
D)separating of soil into its constituent layers
E)process of caliche formation

Question 9

If an area is underlain by limestone soils, acid rain tends to be neutralized.

Question 10

Frost wedging in the mountains produces ____.

A)tailings
B)talus
C)conglomerate
D)exfoliate
E)regolith

Question 11

Bauxite, which is formed during chemical weathering, is known as a residual concentration.

Question 12

A unique physical property of water is that it ____.

A)is slippery when wet
B)expands when it freezes
C)can be absorbed by plants
D)contains hydrogen
E)is transparent

Question 13

Laterite soils are typical of rainforests.

Question 14

Salt crystals can exert enough force to widen cracks and dislodge particles in some rocks.

Question 15

Mass wasting is a gravity-driven process.

Question 16

In a soil profile, horizon A is called the zone of accumulation.

Question 17

A type of mechanical weathering is ____ and a type of chemical weathering is ____.

A)frost action; pressure release
B)pressure release; salt crystal growth
C)thermal expansion and contraction; salt crystal growth
D)oxidation; activities of organisms
E)salt crystal growth; hydrolysis

Question 18

Salinization occurs when the concentration of salts increases in a soil, making it unfit for agriculture.

Question 19

Organisms contribute to chemical weathering by ____.

A)mixing soil
B)bringing material from depth to the surface
C)wedging themselves into cracks in rocks
D)mixing sediment particles
E)removing ions from soil water

Question 20

When solution takes place, the ions of a substance separate in a liquid, and the solid substance dissolves.

Question 21

In the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing slopes ____.

A)will tend to have steep slope angles
B)do not form alkali soils
C)always remain snow-covered throughout the year
D)receive less sunlight than south-facing slopes
E)support the same types of vegetation as do south-facing slopes

Question 22

Clay particles in soil are important in soil development because they ____.

A)hold soil particles apart
B)allow water and gases to enter soil
C)retain water and supply nutrients
D)allow the flow of groundwater
E)they form horizon O in the soil profile

Question 23

Caliche is a ____.

A)layer of silica cement within a pedalfer
B)layer of precipitated calcium carbonate in horizon B
C)layer of rock between soil layers C and D
D)deposit formed in alkali soils
E)light colored layer of unstable minerals

Question 24

A measure of hydrogen ion concentration is known as ____.

A)hydration
B)oxidation
C)pH
D)VEI
E)the acid series

Question 25

Some types of bacteria are extremely important in changing atmospheric nitrogen into a form of ____.

A)oxygen that is released into the atmosphere
B)carbon dioxide that speeds decomposition
C)carbon dioxide that aids in plant growth
D)soil nitrogen suitable for use by plants
E)nitroglycerine for uptake by plant roots

Question 26

Rills are ____.

A)steep slopes where soils form slowly
B)flat areas where soils form slowly
C)rocky areas where soil formation is difficult
D)shallow enough to be eliminated by plowing
E)too deep to be eliminated by plowing

Question 27

Observed in a vertical cross section, soil is made up of distinct layers. From the surface downward, the layers are designated ____.

A)O, E, A, B, and C
B)A, B, C, O, and E
C)O, A, E, B, and C
D)A, O, E, B, and C
E)E, A, B, O, and C

Question 28

The difference in elevation between high and low points in a region is called ____.

A)relief
B)relief angle
C)angle of declivity
D)slope
E)slope angle

Question 29

Horizon B has fewer organisms and less organic matter than horizon A. This horizon is also called the ____.

A)zone of accumulation
B)layer of consolidation
C)region of conglomeration
D)section of incorporation
E)segment of amalgamation

Question 30

Humus ____.

A)is the material always comprising the topmost soil horizon
B)is the dark, organic-rich material formed by bacterial decay
C)is also known as organic litter
D)always includes large amounts of sediments
E)forms from the chemical weathering of the parent rock

Question 31

Salinization of soils ____.

A)aids in plant growth
B)makes them unfit for agriculture
C)increases the rate of soil formation
D)decreases the rate of weathering
E)inhibits salt formation

Question 32

Erosion is ____.

A)sometimes caused by soil formation
B)made worse by plowing, overgrazing, and deforestation
C)always slower than soil production
D)often beneficial to plants and animals
E)a completely manmade process

Question 33

An important weathering product of the hydrolysis of orthoclase is ____.

A)ferromagnesium
B)sand
C)dissolved calcium
D)clay minerals
E)accessory minerals

Question 34

Soil develops ____.

A)faster on bedrock than it does on unconsolidated sediment
B)faster on unconsolidated sediment than it does on bedrock
C)often with no weathering involved
D)at similar rates throughout the world
E)a distinct purple color when it has a high iron content

Question 35

An overall average rate of soil formation might be about ____ per century.

A)2.5 cm
B)25 cm
C)2.5 m
D)25 m
E)250 m

Question 36

Horizon A in a soil is ____.

A)low in organic matter
B)the site of little biological activity
C)comprised entirely of sand and gravel
D)where the parent material of the soil is located
E)composed mostly of clays and stable minerals

Question 37

Carbonic acid forms from a combination of ____.

A)water and bicarbonate ion
B)water and carbon dioxide
C)carbon dioxide and hydrogen ion
D)calcium ion and bicarbonate ion

Question 38

Hydrolysis is particularly effective in weathering ____.

A)limestone
B)sandstone
C)bauxite
D)calcite
E)feldspar

Question 39

When a rock is broken into smaller pieces, its ____.

A)volume increases but its surface area remains the same
B)surface area increases but its volume remains the same
C)rate of weathering dramatically decreases
D)surface area and volume increase
E)surface area decreases and volume increases

Question 40

During spheroidal weathering of a rectangular stone, the ___.

A)stone keeps its shape indefinitely
B)corners are attacked by weathering from three sides
C)flat surfaces are attacked by weathering from two sides
D)flat surfaces are altered more rapidly by weathering
E)stone breaks into large chunks

Question 41

A(n)____________________ soil forms when the parent material has weathered in place and a(n)____________________ soil forms when the parent material has been transported elsewhere, deposited, and then converted to soil.

Question 42

The process that decomposes rocks and minerals by altering the makeup of the parent material is called ____________________.

Question 43

What is an expansive soil?

Question 44

In the tropics where chemical weathering is intense and leaching of most minerals is complete, a soil termed ____________________ forms.

Question 45

Briefly explain how hydrolysis results in the weathering of some minerals.

Question 46

The actions of ____________________ and ____________________ are responsible for most soil erosion.

Question 47

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising due to the burning of fossil fuels. How might this increased level of carbon dioxide affect rates of weathering?

Question 48

____________________ is an important constituent of soil and provides nutrients to plants and increases the ability of the soil to retain ____________________.

Question 49

Why are soils considered one of our most precious natural resources?

Question 50

What is differential weathering?

Question 51

____________________ refers to reactions with oxygen to form an oxide or a hydroxide.

Question 52

Define soil degradation and discuss the processes leading to it.

Question 53

Compare and contrast mechanical weathering and chemical weathering.

Question 54

The most important factor influencing soil type and thickness is ____________________.

Question 55

Sheet-joint-bounded slabs of rock slip or slide off the parent rock, leaving large, rounded masses known as ____________________.

Question 56

Discuss the origin of soils.

Question 57

Soil undergoes chemical deterioration when its ____________________ are depleted causing its productivity to decrease.

Question 58

Weathering is an essential part of the ____________________ because when parent material breaks down into smaller pieces or perhaps dissolves, this weathered material may be transported elsewhere and deposited as sediment, the raw materials for sedimentary rocks.