Question 1

What nongeologic term is commonly used to describe a sudden event in which large volumes of material move down steep slopes?

Accepted Answer

A) Mass Wasting 
B) Carbonization 
C) Landslide 
D) Lahar 
A) Mass Wasting 
B) Carbonization 
C) Landslide 
D) Lahar

Question 2

Which region would be most likely to produce a catastrophic landslide?

Accepted Answer

A) Old, eroded, worn-down mountains 
B) V-shaped stream valley with gentle slopes 
C) Flat-lying floodplains along a stream 
D) Steep, geologically young mountains 
A) Old, eroded, worn-down mountains 
B) V-shaped stream valley with gentle slopes 
C) Flat-lying floodplains along a stream 
D) Steep, geologically young mountains

Question 3

Mudflows are big enough to move in any direction, regardless of the orientation of the landscape.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

What is the slowest form of mass wasting?

Accepted Answer

A) Slump 
B) Debris flow 
C) Creep 
D) Earthflow 
A) Slump 
B) Debris flow 
C) Creep 
D) Earthflow

Question 5

Which of the following was the cause of the debris flow in Oso, Washington, in March 2014?

Accepted Answer

A) Volcanic eruptions generated a lahar. 
B) A stream at the base of a slope eroded the toe of the slope away. 
C) Heavy rains saturated the surface materials on the slope. 
D) The slope was oversteepened during construction. 
A) Volcanic eruptions generated a lahar. 
B) A stream at the base of a slope eroded the toe of the slope away. 
C) Heavy rains saturated the surface materials on the slope. 
D) The slope was oversteepened during construction.

Question 6

A ________ is an example of a rotational slide.

Accepted Answer

A) rockslide 
B) fall 
C) mudflow 
D) slump 
A) rockslide 
B) fall 
C) mudflow 
D) slump

Question 7

What is the controlling force of mass wasting?

Accepted Answer

A) Water 
B) Gravity 
C) Friction 
D) Hydration 
A) Water 
B) Gravity 
C) Friction 
D) Hydration

Question 8

Assume this house is located in central Alaska.What did this house do to the local landscape to end up so misaligned?

Accepted Answer

A) The house shifted because of a mudflow. 
B) The weight of the house generated a debris flow. 
C) A rockfall knocked the house off its foundation. 
D) Heat from the house melted the permafrost below. 
A) The house shifted because of a mudflow. 
B) The weight of the house generated a debris flow. 
C) A rockfall knocked the house off its foundation. 
D) Heat from the house melted the permafrost below.

Question 9

A ________ is not the sole cause of a mass wasting event, but the last of many causes that initiate the downslope movement of materials.

Accepted Answer

A) debris flow 
B) slide 
C) repose angle 
D) trigger 
A) debris flow 
B) slide 
C) repose angle 
D) trigger

Question 10

Which of the following mass wasting disasters was triggered by an earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) Storm King Mountain, Colorado, 1994 
B) Colorado Front Range, Colorado, 2013 
C) Chengdu, China, 2008 
D) Oso, Washington, 2014 
A) Storm King Mountain, Colorado, 1994 
B) Colorado Front Range, Colorado, 2013 
C) Chengdu, China, 2008 
D) Oso, Washington, 2014

Question 11

Mass wasting is possible only with the aid of a transportation agent such as water, wind, or ice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

What is the fastest form of mass wasting?

Accepted Answer

A) Slide 
B) Slump 
C) Creep 
D) Rock avalanche 
A) Slide 
B) Slump 
C) Creep 
D) Rock avalanche

Question 13

How can road construction in mountainous areas exacerbate mass wasting?

Accepted Answer

Many mountainous areas have steeply incl

Question 14

Evaluate the statement, "All lahars are mudflows, but not all mudflows are lahars."

Accepted Answer

Mudflows in general are defined as a rap

Question 15

What combination of factors was responsible for the disaster west of Yellowstone National Park on August 17, 1959?

Accepted Answer

A) Rock falls filled a lake with debris until the water overtopped the dam and eroded through the concrete. 
B) Water migrating along foliation layers in the metamorphic rock destabilized a dam, which collapsed and flooded the valley. 
C) A severe earthquake triggered a slide that blocked a river and flooded a campground. 
D) Drainage from the reservoir generated a lahar, which destroyed small towns downstream. 
A) Rock falls filled a lake with debris until the water overtopped the dam and eroded through the concrete. 
B) Water migrating along foliation layers in the metamorphic rock destabilized a dam, which collapsed and flooded the valley. 
C) A severe earthquake triggered a slide that blocked a river and flooded a campground. 
D) Drainage from the reservoir generated a lahar, which destroyed small towns downstream.

Question 16

A ________ is an example of a translational slide.

Accepted Answer

A) rockslide 
B) creep 
C) mudflow 
D) slump 
A) rockslide 
B) creep 
C) mudflow 
D) slump

Question 17

Identify the mass-wasting event in this image.

Accepted Answer

A) Fall 
B) Rockslide 
C) Debris flow 
D) Slump 
A) Fall 
B) Rockslide 
C) Debris flow 
D) Slump

Question 18

Postfire debris flows are most common in the first 2 years after a fire.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

How did the underlying geology contribute to the Gros Ventre Landslide of 1925?

Accepted Answer

A) Rains saturated the sandstone and clay that make up the slope. 
B) Creep weakened the sandstone making up the slope. 
C) Vegetation was removed from the slope. 
D) The river that flowed through the valley dissolved the limestone. 
A) Rains saturated the sandstone and clay that make up the slope. 
B) Creep weakened the sandstone making up the slope. 
C) Vegetation was removed from the slope. 
D) The river that flowed through the valley dissolved the limestone.

Question 20

A stream is cutting into a valley wall.Which of the following is the most likely trigger for a mass wasting event?

Accepted Answer

A) The stream will saturate the slope and generate a mudflow. 
B) The stream erodes the toe of the slope, which results in the slope becoming oversteepened. 
C) Upslope trees will be removed, reducing slope strength. 
D) The stream will deposit extra sediment on the slope, increasing the weight on the slope. 
A) The stream will saturate the slope and generate a mudflow. 
B) The stream erodes the toe of the slope, which results in the slope becoming oversteepened. 
C) Upslope trees will be removed, reducing slope strength. 
D) The stream will deposit extra sediment on the slope, increasing the weight on the slope.

Exam 15: Mass Wasting

What nongeologic term is commonly used to describe a sudden event in which large volumes of material move down steep slopes?

Which region would be most likely to produce a catastrophic landslide?

Mudflows are big enough to move in any direction, regardless of the orientation of the landscape.

What is the slowest form of mass wasting?

Which of the following was the cause of the debris flow in Oso, Washington, in March 2014?

A ________ is an example of a rotational slide.

What is the controlling force of mass wasting?

Assume this house is located in central Alaska.What did this house do to the local landscape to end up so misaligned?

A ________ is not the sole cause of a mass wasting event, but the last of many causes that initiate the downslope movement of materials.

Which of the following mass wasting disasters was triggered by an earthquake?

Mass wasting is possible only with the aid of a transportation agent such as water, wind, or ice.

What is the fastest form of mass wasting?

How can road construction in mountainous areas exacerbate mass wasting?

Evaluate the statement, "All lahars are mudflows, but not all mudflows are lahars."

What combination of factors was responsible for the disaster west of Yellowstone National Park on August 17, 1959?

A ________ is an example of a translational slide.

Identify the mass-wasting event in this image.

Postfire debris flows are most common in the first 2 years after a fire.

How did the underlying geology contribute to the Gros Ventre Landslide of 1925?

A stream is cutting into a valley wall.Which of the following is the most likely trigger for a mass wasting event?

An Introduction to Geology

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Matter and Minerals

Magma, Igneous Rocks, and Intrusive Activity

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes

Earths Interior

Divergent Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Global Climate Change

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Energy and Mineral Resources

Touring Our Solar System

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