Question 1

Moraines are glacial deposits composed of______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  loess 
B)  ice 
C)  till 
D)  stratified drift 
A)  loess 
B)  ice 
C)  till 
D)  stratified drift

Question 2

The major difference between floods in humid regions and in dry regions is______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  in dry regions, flooding lasts much longer than in humid regions because the water cannot soak into the baked desert soil 
B)  in dry regions, flooding is a very fast process because there are fewer plants 
C)  in dry regions, flooding does not really occur because there is almost no water 
D)  in dry regions, flooding is a very slow process because there is less water 
A)  in dry regions, flooding lasts much longer than in humid regions because the water cannot soak into the baked desert soil 
B)  in dry regions, flooding is a very fast process because there are fewer plants 
C)  in dry regions, flooding does not really occur because there is almost no water 
D)  in dry regions, flooding is a very slow process because there is less water

Question 3

Most of an iceberg is under water but the top of the iceberg sticks out because______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  ice is more dense than seawater so ice sinks in water 
B)  most icebergs are so large they rest on the ocean floor 
C)  seawater is more dense than ice so ice floats in water 
D)  the mass of an iceberg is concentrated in the zone of accumulation 
A)  ice is more dense than seawater so ice sinks in water 
B)  most icebergs are so large they rest on the ocean floor 
C)  seawater is more dense than ice so ice floats in water 
D)  the mass of an iceberg is concentrated in the zone of accumulation

Question 4

Which of the following is a lake that forms in a cirque?

Accepted Answer

A)  oxbow 
B)  tarn 
C)  kettle 
D)  pater noster 
A)  oxbow 
B)  tarn 
C)  kettle 
D)  pater noster

Question 5

Abrasion and plucking generally involve what part of a glacier?

Accepted Answer

A)  the internal flowage zone 
B)  the surface brittle zone 
C)  the snout zone 
D)  the bottom or base 
A)  the internal flowage zone 
B)  the surface brittle zone 
C)  the snout zone 
D)  the bottom or base

Question 6

The steeper slope of a sand dune is______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  made of desert pavement 
B)  called the slip face 
C)  generally unmoving 
D)  on the windward side of the dune 
A)  made of desert pavement 
B)  called the slip face 
C)  generally unmoving 
D)  on the windward side of the dune

Question 7

The loess deposited in many parts of the Midwest ______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  was once glacial outwash deposits 
B)  is uniformly thick 
C)  is in the form of transverse dunes 
D)  had its source in desert regions 
A)  was once glacial outwash deposits 
B)  is uniformly thick 
C)  is in the form of transverse dunes 
D)  had its source in desert regions

Question 8

At the base of a glacier, the ice moves by______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  sliding and ductile flow 
B)  ductile flow and fracturing 
C)  fracturing 
D)  fracturing and sliding 
A)  sliding and ductile flow 
B)  ductile flow and fracturing 
C)  fracturing 
D)  fracturing and sliding

Question 9

Ice sheets can be up______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  several centimeters thick 
B)  tens of kilometers thick 
C)  several meters thick 
D)  several kilometers thick 
A)  several centimeters thick 
B)  tens of kilometers thick 
C)  several meters thick 
D)  several kilometers thick

Question 10

Crevasses deep fractures or cracks. form in glaciers because______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography, the brittle upper layer or zone of fracture is subject to tension and cracks above the ductile layer 
B)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography, cracks can form anywhere in the glacier but they are called "crevasses" only if they are near the surface 
C)  not all of the ice in a glacier moves downhill at the same rate in the glacier 
D)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography the bottom of the glacier known as the zone of fracture. cracks and the cracks propagate upward to the surface of the glacier 
E)  there is not always the same amount of ice available in all areas so cracks form when the ice tries to move and fill in empty parts of the glacier 
A)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography, the brittle upper layer or zone of fracture is subject to tension and cracks above the ductile layer 
B)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography, cracks can form anywhere in the glacier but they are called "crevasses" only if they are near the surface 
C)  not all of the ice in a glacier moves downhill at the same rate in the glacier 
D)  as the glacier moves over irregular topography the bottom of the glacier known as the zone of fracture. cracks and the cracks propagate upward to the surface of the glacier 
E)  there is not always the same amount of ice available in all areas so cracks form when the ice tries to move and fill in empty parts of the glacier

Question 11

In the long term, would most features of alpine glaciation be preserved in the geologic record? Why or why not? What about continental glaciation?

Accepted Answer

Alpine glaciation would not be preserved

Question 12

-In the figure above, identify the letter corresponding to a bajada.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  
-In the figure above, identify the...

Question 13

-In the figure above, identify the letter corresponding to a playa or salt flat.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  
-In the figure above, identify the...

Question 14

Permanent streams in desert regions are rare, and when they do occur,______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  they have numerous tributaries to keep them supplied with water as they cross the desert 
B)  they originate outside of the desert region and have few tributaries in the desert 
C)  they get their water from wadis and arroyos 
D)  they originate in a glacier region 
A)  they have numerous tributaries to keep them supplied with water as they cross the desert 
B)  they originate outside of the desert region and have few tributaries in the desert 
C)  they get their water from wadis and arroyos 
D)  they originate in a glacier region

Question 15

Wind is included along with gravity, water, and ice as an agent of erosion. In many national parks and other areas of natural beauty, statements are often made that credit wind as having sculpted the landscape. Briefly discuss the importance of wind as an agent of erosion and explain why such statements are probably geologically inaccurate.

Accepted Answer

Wind itself is sometimes an agent of ero

Question 16

The major rivers in the U.S., including the Colorado and Rio Grande, originate in mountainous regions with significant contributions from snow melt and then cross arid regions before supplying the water needs for several cities in the U.S. and Mexico. Discuss the potential impact of climate change on the water supplies.

Accepted Answer

As the climate becomes warmer, permanent

Question 17

In a dry climate, weathering is significantly less than in a humid climate because______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  there is less moisture than in a humid region 
B)  sand covers much of the rock surface and protects them from weathering in a desert 
C)  rivers are ephemeral and do not cause weathering in the desert 
D)  wind is not a significant weathering agent 
A)  there is less moisture than in a humid region 
B)  sand covers much of the rock surface and protects them from weathering in a desert 
C)  rivers are ephemeral and do not cause weathering in the desert 
D)  wind is not a significant weathering agent

Question 18

See the image below. It is a dry desert stream bed.   What would be good advice for someone who wants to go camping in the area shown in the photog

Accepted Answer

A)  You do not need a tent as it stays warm in deserts all night long. 
B)  You would not want to camp there because of the possibility of a sudden flood. 
C)  The dry sand would not be a good place to put a tent, because it would be better to be wet. 
D)  If you were camping that would make a good place to camp because it is dry and soft. 
A)  You do not need a tent as it stays warm in deserts all night long. 
B)  You would not want to camp there because of the possibility of a sudden flood. 
C)  The dry sand would not be a good place to put a tent, because it would be better to be wet. 
D)  If you were camping that would make a good place to camp because it is dry and soft.

Question 19

A cirque represents an erosional feature formed______ .

Accepted Answer

A)  at the terminus of a glacier 
B)  inside a glacier 
C)  underneath a glacier 
D)  at the head of a glacier 
A)  at the terminus of a glacier 
B)  inside a glacier 
C)  underneath a glacier 
D)  at the head of a glacier

Question 20

Which of the following countries was almost entirely covered by ice during the last ice age?

Accepted Answer

A)  Russia 
B)  United States 
C)  Canada 
D)  Mexico 
A)  Russia 
B)  United States 
C)  Canada 
D)  Mexico

Exam 10: Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Moraines are glacial deposits composed of______ .

The major difference between floods in humid regions and in dry regions is______ .

Most of an iceberg is under water but the top of the iceberg sticks out because______ .

Which of the following is a lake that forms in a cirque?

Abrasion and plucking generally involve what part of a glacier?

The steeper slope of a sand dune is______ .

The loess deposited in many parts of the Midwest ______ .

At the base of a glacier, the ice moves by______ .

Ice sheets can be up______ .

Crevasses deep fractures or cracks. form in glaciers because______ .

In the long term, would most features of alpine glaciation be preserved in the geologic record? Why or why not? What about continental glaciation?

-In the figure above, identify the letter corresponding to a bajada.

-In the figure above, identify the letter corresponding to a playa or salt flat.

Permanent streams in desert regions are rare, and when they do occur,______ .

In a dry climate, weathering is significantly less than in a humid climate because______ .

See the image below. It is a dry desert stream bed. What would be good advice for someone who wants to go camping in the area shown in the photog

A cirque represents an erosional feature formed______ .

Which of the following countries was almost entirely covered by ice during the last ice age?

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters