Question 1

What happens to the potassium (K)in feldspar during chemical weathering?

Accepted Answer

A) It dissolves in the water. 
B) It becomes part of the clay mineral. 
C) It evaporates. 
D) It becomes concentrated in potassium metal deposits. 
A) It dissolves in the water. 
B) It becomes part of the clay mineral. 
C) It evaporates. 
D) It becomes concentrated in potassium metal deposits. A

Question 2

One of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

A mineral that undergoes hydration

Accepted Answer

A) changes iron from ferric to ferrous. 
B) gains water. 
C) dissolves. 
D) weathers into a more stable phase. 
A) changes iron from ferric to ferrous. 
B) gains water. 
C) dissolves. 
D) weathers into a more stable phase. B

Question 4

Which soil horizon consists primarily of slightly altered,weathered bedrock?

Accepted Answer

A) the A-horizon 
B) the B-horizon 
C) the C-horizon 
D) none of the above 
A) the A-horizon 
B) the B-horizon 
C) the C-horizon 
D) none of the above

Question 5

During oxidation of iron,Fe atoms _____ electrons and O2 atoms ______ electrons.

Accepted Answer

A) lose; lose 
B) gain; gain 
C) lose; gain 
D) gain; lose 
A) lose; lose 
B) gain; gain 
C) lose; gain 
D) gain; lose

Question 6

In a soil profile,organic matter is found

Accepted Answer

A) primarily in the A-horizon. 
B) primarily in the B-horizon. 
C) primarily in the C-horizon. 
D) in the A-,B-,and C-horizons in approximately equal amounts. 
A) primarily in the A-horizon. 
B) primarily in the B-horizon. 
C) primarily in the C-horizon. 
D) in the A-,B-,and C-horizons in approximately equal amounts.

Question 7

Which of the following was not a contributing factor in the 1925 Gros Ventre slide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming?

Accepted Answer

A) undercutting of the slope by construction activities 
B) slippery bedding planes in a shale unit 
C) the orientation of the sedimentary layers with respect to the slope 
D) All of these were contributing factors. 
A) undercutting of the slope by construction activities 
B) slippery bedding planes in a shale unit 
C) the orientation of the sedimentary layers with respect to the slope 
D) All of these were contributing factors.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Silicate weathering and volcanism both increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
B) Silicate weathering increases and volcanism decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
C) Silicate weathering decreases and volcanism increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
D) Silicate weathering and volcanism both decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
A) Silicate weathering and volcanism both increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
B) Silicate weathering increases and volcanism decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
C) Silicate weathering decreases and volcanism increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
D) Silicate weathering and volcanism both decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 9

Physical weathering is most effective at

Accepted Answer

A) high latitudes. 
B) low latitudes. 
C) gentle slopes. 
D) steep slopes. 
A) high latitudes. 
B) low latitudes. 
C) gentle slopes. 
D) steep slopes.

Question 10

Which of the following processes is not an example of chemical weathering?

Accepted Answer

A) dissolution of calcite 
B) breakdown of feldspar to form kaolinite 
C) splitting of a rock along a fracture 
D) rusting of a nail 
A) dissolution of calcite 
B) breakdown of feldspar to form kaolinite 
C) splitting of a rock along a fracture 
D) rusting of a nail

Question 11

Soils contain ______ carbon as Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) three times as much 
B) twice as much 
C) half as much 
D) the same amount of 
A) three times as much 
B) twice as much 
C) half as much 
D) the same amount of

Question 12

Which of the following processes was the major reason for the occurrence of so many landslides during the 1964 Anchorage,Alaska,earthquake?

Accepted Answer

A) There was motion along the fault oversteepened slopes. 
B) Water-saturated sandy layers became liquefied during the earthquake. 
C) The earthquake tilted the rock layers downhill. 
D) The earthquake caused water to accumulate in the soil. 
A) There was motion along the fault oversteepened slopes. 
B) Water-saturated sandy layers became liquefied during the earthquake. 
C) The earthquake tilted the rock layers downhill. 
D) The earthquake caused water to accumulate in the soil.

Question 13

Why do feldspars weather more rapidly in the presence of soils than on a bare outcrop?

Accepted Answer

A) The bare surface is cooler. 
B) Soils keep the mineral damp. 
C) Soils accelerate physical weathering. 
D) It is an illusion - bare surfaces are continuously washed clean by rain. 
A) The bare surface is cooler. 
B) Soils keep the mineral damp. 
C) Soils accelerate physical weathering. 
D) It is an illusion - bare surfaces are continuously washed clean by rain.

Question 14

Which of the following minerals is most stable at Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A) hematite 
B) mica 
C) olivine 
D) pyroxene 
A) hematite 
B) mica 
C) olivine 
D) pyroxene

Question 15

Which of the following major landslides was caused,in part,by human activities?

Accepted Answer

A) the 1925 Gros Ventre landslide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming 
B) the 1963 Vaiont landslide in the Italian Alps 
C) the 1983 Spanish Fork Canyon landslide,Utah 
D) the Nevado Huascarán ice-debris avalanche,Peruvian Andes 
A) the 1925 Gros Ventre landslide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming 
B) the 1963 Vaiont landslide in the Italian Alps 
C) the 1983 Spanish Fork Canyon landslide,Utah 
D) the Nevado Huascarán ice-debris avalanche,Peruvian Andes

Question 16

Which of the following minerals is most susceptible to oxidation?

Accepted Answer

A) calcite 
B) feldspar 
C) pyroxene 
D) quartz 
A) calcite 
B) feldspar 
C) pyroxene 
D) quartz

Question 17

Which of the following has the steepest angle of repose?

Accepted Answer

A) dry sand 
B) water-saturated sand 
C) damp sand 
D) water-oversaturated sand 
A) dry sand 
B) water-saturated sand 
C) damp sand 
D) water-oversaturated sand

Question 18

What is the difference between an earthflow and a debris flow?

Accepted Answer

A) Earthflows consist of consolidated rock; mudflows consist of unconsolidated material. 
B) Earthflows travel faster than debris flows. 
C) Earthflows consist of finer material than debris flows. 
D) Earthflows contain more rock fragments than debris flows. 
A) Earthflows consist of consolidated rock; mudflows consist of unconsolidated material. 
B) Earthflows travel faster than debris flows. 
C) Earthflows consist of finer material than debris flows. 
D) Earthflows contain more rock fragments than debris flows.

Question 19

Why is pyroxene more susceptible to oxidation than either feldspar or quartz?

Accepted Answer

A) because it contains less silica 
B) because it contains the most ferrous iron 
C) because it is a mafic mineral 
D) because it is more commonly exposed to oxygen 
A) because it contains less silica 
B) because it contains the most ferrous iron 
C) because it is a mafic mineral 
D) because it is more commonly exposed to oxygen

Question 20

What is the difference between a rockslide and a rock avalanche?

Accepted Answer

A) In a rockslide,the rocks move more or less as a unit; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move independently like a fluid. 
B) In a rockslide,the rocks move independently like a fluid; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move more or less as a unit. 
C) A rockslide is faster than a rock avalanche. 
D) A rockslide involves more debris than a rock avalanche. 
A) In a rockslide,the rocks move more or less as a unit; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move independently like a fluid. 
B) In a rockslide,the rocks move independently like a fluid; in a rock avalanche,the rocks move more or less as a unit. 
C) A rockslide is faster than a rock avalanche. 
D) A rockslide involves more debris than a rock avalanche.

Exam 16: Weathering,erosion,and Mass Wasting: Interactions Between the Climate and Plate Tectonic Systems

What happens to the potassium (K)in feldspar during chemical weathering?

One of the most effective mechanisms for physical weathering is

A mineral that undergoes hydration

Which soil horizon consists primarily of slightly altered,weathered bedrock?

During oxidation of iron,Fe atoms _____ electrons and O2 atoms ______ electrons.

In a soil profile,organic matter is found

Which of the following was not a contributing factor in the 1925 Gros Ventre slide near Jackson Hole,Wyoming?

Which of the following statements is true?

Physical weathering is most effective at

Which of the following processes is not an example of chemical weathering?

Soils contain ______ carbon as Earth's atmosphere.

Which of the following processes was the major reason for the occurrence of so many landslides during the 1964 Anchorage,Alaska,earthquake?

Why do feldspars weather more rapidly in the presence of soils than on a bare outcrop?

Which of the following minerals is most stable at Earth's surface?

Which of the following major landslides was caused,in part,by human activities?

Which of the following minerals is most susceptible to oxidation?

Which of the following has the steepest angle of repose?

What is the difference between an earthflow and a debris flow?

Why is pyroxene more susceptible to oxidation than either feldspar or quartz?

What is the difference between a rockslide and a rock avalanche?

The Earth System

Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Theory

Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks

Igneous Rocks: Solids From Melts

Sedimentation: Rocks Formed by Surface Processes

Metamorphism: Alteration of Rocks by Temperature and Pressure

Deformation: Modification of Rocks by Folding and Fracturing

Clocks in Rocks: Timing the Geologic Period

Early History of the Terrestrial Planets

History of the Continents

Geobiology: Life Interacts With Earth

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Exploring Earths Interior

The Climate System

The Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater

Stream Transport: From Mountains to Oceans

Winds and Deserts

Coastlines and Ocean Basins

Glaciers: the Work of Ice

Landscapes: Tectonic and Climate Interaction

The Human Impact of Earths Environment

Filters

During oxidation of iron,Fe atoms _ electrons and O₂ atoms __ electrons.