Question 1

What is the common soil formed in moist, temperate areas like most of Quebec and the Maritimes?

Accepted Answer

A)  pedalfer (podzol) 
B)  chernozem 
C)  cryosol 
D)  luvisol 
A)  pedalfer (podzol) 
B)  chernozem 
C)  cryosol 
D)  luvisol

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the "Dust Bowl"?

Accepted Answer

A)  a New Year's Day invitational soccer match in Tripoli, Libya 
B)  the area covered by volcanic ash around Soufriere Hills in 2010 
C)  areas of severe wind erosion on the Prairies, 1930s 
D)  the long drought preceding the Irish potato famine of the 1840s 
A)  a New Year's Day invitational soccer match in Tripoli, Libya 
B)  the area covered by volcanic ash around Soufriere Hills in 2010 
C)  areas of severe wind erosion on the Prairies, 1930s 
D)  the long drought preceding the Irish potato famine of the 1840s

Question 3

Lateritic soils form under what climatic conditions?

Accepted Answer

A)  hot and dry as in the desert regions of North Africa and Arabia 
B)  cool and relatively dry as in Nunavut 
C)  moist and temperate as in southwest BC 
D)  warm and moist as in a wet, tropical forest 
A)  hot and dry as in the desert regions of North Africa and Arabia 
B)  cool and relatively dry as in Nunavut 
C)  moist and temperate as in southwest BC 
D)  warm and moist as in a wet, tropical forest

Question 4

Which one of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mechanical weathering reduces grain sizes of rock particles. 
B)  Mechanical weathering allows for faster rates of chemical weathering. 
C)  Mechanical weathering involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material. 
D)  Mechanical weathering is important in the formation of talus slopes. 
A)  Mechanical weathering reduces grain sizes of rock particles. 
B)  Mechanical weathering allows for faster rates of chemical weathering. 
C)  Mechanical weathering involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material. 
D)  Mechanical weathering is important in the formation of talus slopes.

Question 5

Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep, bedrock slope or cliff?

Accepted Answer

A)  bajada 
B)  fanglomerate 
C)  talus slope 
D)  rock and roll 
A)  bajada 
B)  fanglomerate 
C)  talus slope 
D)  rock and roll

Question 6

In nature, where does the acidity come from to speed up chemical weathering?

Accepted Answer

A)  plutonism 
B)  Bowen's reaction series 
C)  nuee ardentes from explosive volcanic eruptions 
D)  organic acids from decayed plants, acid rain, and sulphuric acid from oxidation of pyrite 
A)  plutonism 
B)  Bowen's reaction series 
C)  nuee ardentes from explosive volcanic eruptions 
D)  organic acids from decayed plants, acid rain, and sulphuric acid from oxidation of pyrite

Question 7

What is the common soil formed in semi- arid grassland with alkali and salt tolerant plants as in SE Alberta and SW Saskatchewan?

Accepted Answer

A)  solonetzic and pedocal 
B)  luvisol 
C)  chernozem 
D)  cryosol 
A)  solonetzic and pedocal 
B)  luvisol 
C)  chernozem 
D)  cryosol

Question 8

Which one of the following statements concerning soil erosion is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Grasses and other vegetation, windbreaks, and contour cropping will help reduce losses of soil from cultivated lands. 
B)  Soils form naturally by weathering; if protected from erosion, sound management can maintain or enhance their nutrient levels and textural characteristics. 
C)  Sheet erosion, rills, and gullies develop mainly during prolonged droughts. 
D)  Rates of soil erosion exceed rates of soil formation in some parts of the world. 
A)  Grasses and other vegetation, windbreaks, and contour cropping will help reduce losses of soil from cultivated lands. 
B)  Soils form naturally by weathering; if protected from erosion, sound management can maintain or enhance their nutrient levels and textural characteristics. 
C)  Sheet erosion, rills, and gullies develop mainly during prolonged droughts. 
D)  Rates of soil erosion exceed rates of soil formation in some parts of the world.

Question 9

Ordinary chemical weathering of rock forming minerals like feldspar and amphibole produces________

Accepted Answer

A)  dissolved clays and iron hydroxides 
B)  soluble silica and ions (Ca+2 , Na+ , Mg+2 ) plus residues of clay minerals 
C)  all of the sodium and chloride ions that make the salt content of the seas 
D)  solid residues of quartz and reduced iron compounds 
A)  dissolved clays and iron hydroxides 
B)  soluble silica and ions (Ca+2 , Na+ , Mg+2 ) plus residues of clay minerals 
C)  all of the sodium and chloride ions that make the salt content of the seas 
D)  solid residues of quartz and reduced iron compounds

Question 10

Hydrolysis is__________ to weaken or destroy the mineral lattice.

Accepted Answer

A)  the replacement of mineral cations by hydrogen ions from solution 
B)  the conversion of useless minerals to hydrogen gas 
C)  the chemical removal of bonded hydrogens 
D)  the dissolution of minerals by water 
A)  the replacement of mineral cations by hydrogen ions from solution 
B)  the conversion of useless minerals to hydrogen gas 
C)  the chemical removal of bonded hydrogens 
D)  the dissolution of minerals by water

Question 11

_________is the dissolution or decomposition of minerals and rocks.

Accepted Answer

A)  Chemical weathering 
B)  Rendering 
C)  Mechanical weathering 
D)  Hydrolysis 
A)  Chemical weathering 
B)  Rendering 
C)  Mechanical weathering 
D)  Hydrolysis

Question 12

_______are regularly spaced planar fracture sets in rocks that result from: expansional unloading, tectonic forces, or thermal contraction upon cooling (especially igneous rocks).

Accepted Answer

A)  Joints 
B)  Faults 
C)  Cracks 
D)  Fissures 
A)  Joints 
B)  Faults 
C)  Cracks 
D)  Fissures

Question 13

________is the most common mineral breakdown product of KAlSi3O8 (potassium feldspar).

Accepted Answer

A)  Asbestos 
B)  Kaolinite 
C)  Calcite 
D)  Quartz 
A)  Asbestos 
B)  Kaolinite 
C)  Calcite 
D)  Quartz

Question 14

How do large, spheroidal boulders form from massive bedrock?

Accepted Answer

A)  A fresh rock slab is broken out along sheeting fractures and then rounded by residual laterization. 
B)  Exfoliation breaks a fresh, spherical block from the bedrock. 
C)  An angular block, broken away from bedrock, gets rounded by rolling down a slope. 
D)  The corners and edges of fracture- bounded blocks are weathered faster than the planar areas of the fracture surfaces. 
A)  A fresh rock slab is broken out along sheeting fractures and then rounded by residual laterization. 
B)  Exfoliation breaks a fresh, spherical block from the bedrock. 
C)  An angular block, broken away from bedrock, gets rounded by rolling down a slope. 
D)  The corners and edges of fracture- bounded blocks are weathered faster than the planar areas of the fracture surfaces.

Question 15

What portion of an angular, fracture- bounded granitic block shows the highest rate of weathering?

Accepted Answer

A)  the middle of faces bounded by a single large fracture 
B)  the exposed edges and corners 
C)  the crack surfaces not including edges and corners 
D)  the unfractured interior 
A)  the middle of faces bounded by a single large fracture 
B)  the exposed edges and corners 
C)  the crack surfaces not including edges and corners 
D)  the unfractured interior

Question 16

Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope?

Accepted Answer

A)  slope sheeting 
B)  mass wasting 
C)  talus transfer 
D)  podzolization 
A)  slope sheeting 
B)  mass wasting 
C)  talus transfer 
D)  podzolization

Question 17

In which area are pedocal soils most likely to be found?

Accepted Answer

A)  a bitterly cold, permafrost area in north- central Siberia 
B)  a moderately dry to semiarid grassland such as SW Saskatchewan 
C)  a tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin of Brazil 
D)  a forested area of SE Manitoba 
A)  a bitterly cold, permafrost area in north- central Siberia 
B)  a moderately dry to semiarid grassland such as SW Saskatchewan 
C)  a tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin of Brazil 
D)  a forested area of SE Manitoba

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why angular, crack- bounded, granitic blocks weather to spheroidal boulders?

Accepted Answer

A)  Crack surfaces of blocks heat and cool more rapidly than edges and corners. 
B)  Interiors of blocks are constantly damp or wet because sunlight cannot penetrate. 
C)  Weathering agents have more direct access to edges and corners than to other parts of the block. 
D)  They slowly roll over in place and wear off the corners first. 
A)  Crack surfaces of blocks heat and cool more rapidly than edges and corners. 
B)  Interiors of blocks are constantly damp or wet because sunlight cannot penetrate. 
C)  Weathering agents have more direct access to edges and corners than to other parts of the block. 
D)  They slowly roll over in place and wear off the corners first.

Question 19

What mineral particles are the dominant colouring agents in reddish, brownish, and yellowish soils?

Accepted Answer

A)  soluble potassium and sodium bicarbonates 
B)  dust- sized grains of iron oxides 
C)  very fine- sized silica and calcite particles 
D)  humus and calcium carbonate 
A)  soluble potassium and sodium bicarbonates 
B)  dust- sized grains of iron oxides 
C)  very fine- sized silica and calcite particles 
D)  humus and calcium carbonate

Question 20

Under similar warm, moist climatic conditions, why would basalt and gabbro generally have higher chemical weathering rates than rhyolite and granite?

Accepted Answer

A)  The plagioclase feldspars in the granite and rhyolite decompose readily to clay minerals and iron oxides. 
B)  The potassium feldspars and quartz in the rhyolite and granite are more susceptible to cracking by frost wedging. 
C)  The quartz in the gabbro and basalt decomposes very quickly. 
D)  The ferromagnesian minerals in the gabbro and basalt are subject to oxidation and chemical breakdown. 
A)  The plagioclase feldspars in the granite and rhyolite decompose readily to clay minerals and iron oxides. 
B)  The potassium feldspars and quartz in the rhyolite and granite are more susceptible to cracking by frost wedging. 
C)  The quartz in the gabbro and basalt decomposes very quickly. 
D)  The ferromagnesian minerals in the gabbro and basalt are subject to oxidation and chemical breakdown.

What is the common soil formed in moist, temperate areas like most of Quebec and the Maritimes?

Which of the following best describes the "Dust Bowl"?

Lateritic soils form under what climatic conditions?

Which one of the following statements is false?

Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep, bedrock slope or cliff?

In nature, where does the acidity come from to speed up chemical weathering?

What is the common soil formed in semi- arid grassland with alkali and salt tolerant plants as in SE Alberta and SW Saskatchewan?

Which one of the following statements concerning soil erosion is false?

Ordinary chemical weathering of rock forming minerals like feldspar and amphibole produces________

Hydrolysis is__________ to weaken or destroy the mineral lattice.

_________is the dissolution or decomposition of minerals and rocks.

_______are regularly spaced planar fracture sets in rocks that result from: expansional unloading, tectonic forces, or thermal contraction upon cooling (especially igneous rocks).

________is the most common mineral breakdown product of KAlSi3O8 (potassium feldspar).

How do large, spheroidal boulders form from massive bedrock?

What portion of an angular, fracture- bounded granitic block shows the highest rate of weathering?

Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope?

In which area are pedocal soils most likely to be found?

Which of the following best explains why angular, crack- bounded, granitic blocks weather to spheroidal boulders?

What mineral particles are the dominant colouring agents in reddish, brownish, and yellowish soils?

Under similar warm, moist climatic conditions, why would basalt and gabbro generally have higher chemical weathering rates than rhyolite and granite?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters

Exam 16: Groundwater

What is the common soil formed in moist, temperate areas like most of Quebec and the Maritimes?

Which of the following best describes the "Dust Bowl"?

Lateritic soils form under what climatic conditions?

Which one of the following statements is false?

Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep, bedrock slope or cliff?

In nature, where does the acidity come from to speed up chemical weathering?

What is the common soil formed in semi- arid grassland with alkali and salt tolerant plants as in SE Alberta and SW Saskatchewan?

Which one of the following statements concerning soil erosion is false?

Ordinary chemical weathering of rock forming minerals like feldspar and amphibole produces________

Hydrolysis is__________ to weaken or destroy the mineral lattice.

_________is the dissolution or decomposition of minerals and rocks.

_______are regularly spaced planar fracture sets in rocks that result from: expansional unloading, tectonic forces, or thermal contraction upon cooling (especially igneous rocks).

________is the most common mineral breakdown product of KAlSi3O8 (potassium feldspar).

How do large, spheroidal boulders form from massive bedrock?

What portion of an angular, fracture- bounded granitic block shows the highest rate of weathering?

Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope?

In which area are pedocal soils most likely to be found?

Which of the following best explains why angular, crack- bounded, granitic blocks weather to spheroidal boulders?

What mineral particles are the dominant colouring agents in reddish, brownish, and yellowish soils?

Under similar warm, moist climatic conditions, why would basalt and gabbro generally have higher chemical weathering rates than rhyolite and granite?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters