Question 1

Which one of the following statements is the best description of erosion?

Accepted Answer

A)  disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface 
B)  the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere 
C)  movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope 
D)  the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting 
A)  disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface 
B)  the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere 
C)  movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope 
D)  the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting

Question 2

Clay minerals, silica (SiO2), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process?

Accepted Answer

A)  mechanical weathering of granite and rhyolite 
B)  chemical weathering of olivine and plagioclase feldspar 
C)  differential mechanical weathering of micas 
D)  chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar 
A)  mechanical weathering of granite and rhyolite 
B)  chemical weathering of olivine and plagioclase feldspar 
C)  differential mechanical weathering of micas 
D)  chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar

Question 3

Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material?

Accepted Answer

A)  talus slopes 
B)  tropical laterites 
C)  lunar soils 
D)  C soil horizons 
A)  talus slopes 
B)  tropical laterites 
C)  lunar soils 
D)  C soil horizons

Question 4

The downslope transfer of loose rock and soil particles by the force of gravity is called _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mass migration 
B)  slopewash 
C)  mass wasting 
D)  gravity 
A)  mass migration 
B)  slopewash 
C)  mass wasting 
D)  gravity

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the A soil horizon?

Accepted Answer

A)  leaching zone 
B)  residual zone 
C)  regolith zone 
D)  erosion zone 
A)  leaching zone 
B)  residual zone 
C)  regolith zone 
D)  erosion zone

Question 6

Which of the following best describes sets of fractures in relatively fresh bedrock, such as granite, that are roughly parallel to the land surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  sheeting fractures 
B)  columnar joints 
C)  hydrolytic failures 
D)  thermal expansion cracks 
A)  sheeting fractures 
B)  columnar joints 
C)  hydrolytic failures 
D)  thermal expansion cracks

Question 7

The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil- colouring minerals originate by what process?

Accepted Answer

A)  chemical weathering of quartz and feldspars 
B)  precipitation of insoluble iron oxides during the chemical weathering process 
C)  mechanical weathering of very fine- grained, blue- grey clays 
D)  mechanical weathering of the feldspars and micas in granite and rhyolite 
A)  chemical weathering of quartz and feldspars 
B)  precipitation of insoluble iron oxides during the chemical weathering process 
C)  mechanical weathering of very fine- grained, blue- grey clays 
D)  mechanical weathering of the feldspars and micas in granite and rhyolite

Question 8

Which would make the longest lasting headstone for Granny's grave in "Peaceful Acres" on the east side of Toronto?

Accepted Answer

A)  a pink Precambrian quartzite 
B)  a polished, fine grained basalt 
C)  a large rough limestone slab from a quarry near Kingston 
D)  a coarse- grained grey granite 
A)  a pink Precambrian quartzite 
B)  a polished, fine grained basalt 
C)  a large rough limestone slab from a quarry near Kingston 
D)  a coarse- grained grey granite

Question 9

What two chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals alone?

Accepted Answer

A)  insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium bicarbonates 
B)  soluble sodium and potassium bicarbonates 
C)  silica and soluble calcium bicarbonate 
D)  silica and insoluble clay minerals 
A)  insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium bicarbonates 
B)  soluble sodium and potassium bicarbonates 
C)  silica and soluble calcium bicarbonate 
D)  silica and insoluble clay minerals

Question 10

What oxidized iron bearing minerals generally form as the residue of weathering?

Accepted Answer

A)  ferrous feldspars 
B)  goethite, hematite, and limonite 
C)  olivine, pyroxene, and amphibole 
D)  pyrite and native iron 
A)  ferrous feldspars 
B)  goethite, hematite, and limonite 
C)  olivine, pyroxene, and amphibole 
D)  pyrite and native iron

Question 11

Where would you be best advised to attempt large scale, natural plantations of a popular

Accepted Answer

A)  Alberta 
B)  Saskatchewan 
C)  Manitoba 
D)  BC or the Maritimes 
A)  Alberta 
B)  Saskatchewan 
C)  Manitoba 
D)  BC or the Maritimes

Question 12

Dissolution of minerals occurs because most minerals are ionic crystals and _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  water selectively absorbs all of their electrons until the crystals fall apart 
B)  water selectively removes all of their smaller anions 
C)  their bonds eventually wear out 
D)  water molecules are strongly polarized, effectively competing with ionic bonds 
A)  water selectively absorbs all of their electrons until the crystals fall apart 
B)  water selectively removes all of their smaller anions 
C)  their bonds eventually wear out 
D)  water molecules are strongly polarized, effectively competing with ionic bonds

Question 13

Which of the following statements about acidic precipitation is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fish and other aquatic species in acidified lakes will eventually die off and disappear due to the toxic effects of the acidic waters and increased levels of dissolved aluminum. 
B)  Damage to trees and plants, especially to tender new growth, will intensify if acidic precipitation worsens. 
C)  Chemical weathering and deterioration of exposed rock and metal surfaces will accelerate if acidic precipitation increases. 
D)  Acid precipitation from industrial sources has almost been eliminated and is no longer a concern for the environment. 
A)  Fish and other aquatic species in acidified lakes will eventually die off and disappear due to the toxic effects of the acidic waters and increased levels of dissolved aluminum. 
B)  Damage to trees and plants, especially to tender new growth, will intensify if acidic precipitation worsens. 
C)  Chemical weathering and deterioration of exposed rock and metal surfaces will accelerate if acidic precipitation increases. 
D)  Acid precipitation from industrial sources has almost been eliminated and is no longer a concern for the environment.

Question 14

Which are examples of Earth's external processes?

Accepted Answer

A)  erosion, weathering, and mass wasting 
B)  volcanism and mountain building 
C)  radioactive decay, convection, and recrystallization 
D)  compaction, dewatering, and cementation of sediments 
A)  erosion, weathering, and mass wasting 
B)  volcanism and mountain building 
C)  radioactive decay, convection, and recrystallization 
D)  compaction, dewatering, and cementation of sediments

Question 15

What is the term for the selective removal of softer or less stable portions of a rock?

Accepted Answer

differenti

Question 16

Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering?

Accepted Answer

A)  mechanical 
B)  syntropical 
C)  proactive 
D)  chemical 
A)  mechanical 
B)  syntropical 
C)  proactive 
D)  chemical

Question 17

Which of the following is/are most susceptible to chemical weathering by dissolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  iron oxides 
B)  calcite 
C)  quartz 
D)  clay minerals 
A)  iron oxides 
B)  calcite 
C)  quartz 
D)  clay minerals

Question 18

Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Water shrinks as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be drawn closer together. 
B)  Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. 
C)  Water shrinks as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pulled closer together. 
D)  Water expands as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. 
A)  Water shrinks as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be drawn closer together. 
B)  Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. 
C)  Water shrinks as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pulled closer together. 
D)  Water expands as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart.

Question 19

What chemical weathering process associated with surface mining activities is a major environmental hazard?

Accepted Answer

A)  oxidation of pyrite and other sulphides to produce "mine acid" or acid rock drainage 
B)  recurrent landslides from unstable talings piles 
C)  release of oxidized mine gases 
D)  coal oxidation 
A)  oxidation of pyrite and other sulphides to produce "mine acid" or acid rock drainage 
B)  recurrent landslides from unstable talings piles 
C)  release of oxidized mine gases 
D)  coal oxidation

Question 20

Compare and contrast soil formation between an arid region underlain by quartz sandstone and a temperate climate in an area composed of granite.

Accepted Answer

Because quartz is so resistant to chemic

Which one of the following statements is the best description of erosion?

Clay minerals, silica (SiO2), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process?

Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material?

The downslope transfer of loose rock and soil particles by the force of gravity is called _________.

Which of the following best describes the A soil horizon?

Which of the following best describes sets of fractures in relatively fresh bedrock, such as granite, that are roughly parallel to the land surface?

The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil- colouring minerals originate by what process?

Which would make the longest lasting headstone for Granny's grave in "Peaceful Acres" on the east side of Toronto?

What two chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals alone?

What oxidized iron bearing minerals generally form as the residue of weathering?

Where would you be best advised to attempt large scale, natural plantations of a popular

Dissolution of minerals occurs because most minerals are ionic crystals and _________.

Which of the following statements about acidic precipitation is false?

Which are examples of Earth's external processes?

What is the term for the selective removal of softer or less stable portions of a rock?

Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering?

Which of the following is/are most susceptible to chemical weathering by dissolution?

Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statements is true?

What chemical weathering process associated with surface mining activities is a major environmental hazard?

Compare and contrast soil formation between an arid region underlain by quartz sandstone and a temperate climate in an area composed of 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

Which one of the following statements is the best description of erosion?

Clay minerals, silica (SiO2), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process?

Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material?

The downslope transfer of loose rock and soil particles by the force of gravity is called _________.

Which of the following best describes the A soil horizon?

Which of the following best describes sets of fractures in relatively fresh bedrock, such as granite, that are roughly parallel to the land surface?

The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil- colouring minerals originate by what process?

Which would make the longest lasting headstone for Granny's grave in "Peaceful Acres" on the east side of Toronto?

What two chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals alone?

What oxidized iron bearing minerals generally form as the residue of weathering?

Where would you be best advised to attempt large scale, natural plantations of a popular

Dissolution of minerals occurs because most minerals are ionic crystals and _________.

Which of the following statements about acidic precipitation is false?

Which are examples of Earth's external processes?

What is the term for the selective removal of softer or less stable portions of a rock?

Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering?

Which of the following is/are most susceptible to chemical weathering by dissolution?

Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statements is true?

What chemical weathering process associated with surface mining activities is a major environmental hazard?

Compare and contrast soil formation between an arid region underlain by quartz sandstone and a temperate climate in an area composed of 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