Question 1

Basal sliding of a glacier occurs because of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the steepness of the ground that it flows over 
B)  the lubricating effects of nonphotosynthesizing algae found beneath some glaciers 
C)  seeps of methane and other organic gasses or liquids from the underlying sediment or ground 
D)  water or sediment slurry beneath a glacier 
A)  the steepness of the ground that it flows over 
B)  the lubricating effects of nonphotosynthesizing algae found beneath some glaciers 
C)  seeps of methane and other organic gasses or liquids from the underlying sediment or ground 
D)  water or sediment slurry beneath a glacier

Question 2

A lake that forms within a bowl-shaped depression formed by a mountain glacier is termed a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  arête 
B)  cirque 
C)  horn 
D)  tarn 
A)  arête 
B)  cirque 
C)  horn 
D)  tarn

Question 3

A sharp bedrock ridge separating two bowl-shaped depressions formed by mountain glaciers is termed a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  arête 
B)  cirque 
C)  horn 
D)  tarn 
A)  arête 
B)  cirque 
C)  horn 
D)  tarn

Question 4

Walking across an Antarctic ice sheet would not be very treacherous if you could stay warm enough.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The most accurate record of glaciations in the last 2 to 3 million years was ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  determined from physical and laboratory study of glacial landforms in North America 
B)  found by coring sediments in Lake Tahoe and other high mountain lakes 
C)  found by studying plankton skeletons in deep-sea sediment cores 
D)  found in successive, alternating layers of loess 
A)  determined from physical and laboratory study of glacial landforms in North America 
B)  found by coring sediments in Lake Tahoe and other high mountain lakes 
C)  found by studying plankton skeletons in deep-sea sediment cores 
D)  found in successive, alternating layers of loess

Question 6

Which of the following would NOT be a line of evidence that modern-day geologists could use,to infer the locations and directions of flow of former ice caps?

Accepted Answer

A)  the orientations of striations in bedrock 
B)  the alignments of drumlins 
C)  the long axes of U-shaped valleys 
D)  a comparative study of unsually compositioned clasts in terminal moraines with studies of their source areas 
A)  the orientations of striations in bedrock 
B)  the alignments of drumlins 
C)  the long axes of U-shaped valleys 
D)  a comparative study of unsually compositioned clasts in terminal moraines with studies of their source areas

Question 7

Approximately how much has sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 11,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  3-4 m 
B)  10-20 m 
C)  35-40 m 
D)  110-120 m 
A)  3-4 m 
B)  10-20 m 
C)  35-40 m 
D)  110-120 m

Question 8

By increasing the overall reflectance of solar radiation (sunlight),the growth of ice sheets produces conditions that are ____________ to their further advance,thus providing an example of ____________ feedback.

Accepted Answer

A)  detrimental; positive 
B)  detrimental; negative 
C)  favorable; positive 
D)  favorable; negative 
A)  detrimental; positive 
B)  detrimental; negative 
C)  favorable; positive 
D)  favorable; negative

Question 9

A universally-applicable term for glacially-derived sediments deposited on land is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  drift 
B)  loess 
C)  outwash 
D)  till 
A)  drift 
B)  loess 
C)  outwash 
D)  till

Question 10

Which statement about the difference between a piedmont glacier and a continental ice sheet is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  The toe of a piedmont glacier floats on sea or lake water, whereas that of a continental ice sheet does not. 
B)  The zone of accumulation of a piedmont glacier is generally at high elevation, whereas that of a continental ice sheet is generally not at high elevation. 
C)  A piedmont glacier is more likely to cover a vast area, whereas a continental ice sheet is likely to only cover a medium-sized area. 
D)  Piedmont glaciers are currently found only in the northern hemisphere, whereas continental ice sheets are currently found in both hemispheres. 
A)  The toe of a piedmont glacier floats on sea or lake water, whereas that of a continental ice sheet does not. 
B)  The zone of accumulation of a piedmont glacier is generally at high elevation, whereas that of a continental ice sheet is generally not at high elevation. 
C)  A piedmont glacier is more likely to cover a vast area, whereas a continental ice sheet is likely to only cover a medium-sized area. 
D)  Piedmont glaciers are currently found only in the northern hemisphere, whereas continental ice sheets are currently found in both hemispheres.

Question 11

Glacial ice deforms by ____________ behavior near the top,but ____________ behavior beneath a depth of 60 m.

Accepted Answer

A)  brittle; ductile 
B)  ductile; brittle 
C)  solid; liquid 
D)  plastic; elastic 
A)  brittle; ductile 
B)  ductile; brittle 
C)  solid; liquid 
D)  plastic; elastic

Question 12

Cape Cod,Massachusetts,and Long Island,New York,are both examples of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  drumlins 
B)  lateral moraines 
C)  eskers 
D)  end moraines 
A)  drumlins 
B)  lateral moraines 
C)  eskers 
D)  end moraines

Question 13

Because glacial advance is driven by gravity,it is impossible for glaciers to advance over perfectly flat terrain.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In the glacier shown below,the diagonally oriented feature at location A is a(n)___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  esker 
B)  medial moraine 
C)  crevasse 
D)  cirque 
A)  esker 
B)  medial moraine 
C)  crevasse 
D)  cirque

Question 15

The figure below shows a conveyor belt as an analogy for a glacier.A,B,and C,respectively,are __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  zone of accumulation; outwash; zone of ablation 
B)  outwash plain; terminal moraine; zone of accumulation 
C)  terminal moraine; zone of ablation; zone of accumulation 
D)  esker; zone of accumulation; zone of deposition 
A)  zone of accumulation; outwash; zone of ablation 
B)  outwash plain; terminal moraine; zone of accumulation 
C)  terminal moraine; zone of ablation; zone of accumulation 
D)  esker; zone of accumulation; zone of deposition

Question 16

An intermediate product in the transformation of snow to glacial ice is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  firn 
B)  sublimation 
C)  ablation 
D)  terminus 
A)  firn 
B)  sublimation 
C)  ablation 
D)  terminus

Question 17

The figure below shows the North Pole/Arctic (left)and South Pole/Antarctica (right).Which of the following is probably NOT a difference between the two?

Accepted Answer

A)  the proportion of dropstones in recent ocean sediments 
B)  the abundance of icebergs 
C)  the relative climatological isolation of each from nearby unglaciated landmasses 
D)  the effects of sea ice versus open water, on the reflection of solar radiation (sunlight) 
A)  the proportion of dropstones in recent ocean sediments 
B)  the abundance of icebergs 
C)  the relative climatological isolation of each from nearby unglaciated landmasses 
D)  the effects of sea ice versus open water, on the reflection of solar radiation (sunlight)

Question 18

Cirques and horns are features associated with ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mountain glaciation 
B)  continental glaciation 
C)  glacial outwash deposits 
D)  loess deposits 
A)  mountain glaciation 
B)  continental glaciation 
C)  glacial outwash deposits 
D)  loess deposits

Question 19

Stratified sorted sand and gravel are deposited by ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mountain glaciers 
B)  continental glaciers 
C)  glacial outwash streams 
D)  wind 
A)  mountain glaciers 
B)  continental glaciers 
C)  glacial outwash streams 
D)  wind

Question 20

The average difference in sea level between ice ages and interglacial periods has been about ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  1200 ft 
B)  120 m 
C)  120 ft 
D)  12 ft 
A)  1200 ft 
B)  120 m 
C)  120 ft 
D)  12 ft

Exam 18: Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Basal sliding of a glacier occurs because of ____________.

A lake that forms within a bowl-shaped depression formed by a mountain glacier is termed a(n)____________.

A sharp bedrock ridge separating two bowl-shaped depressions formed by mountain glaciers is termed a(n)____________.

Walking across an Antarctic ice sheet would not be very treacherous if you could stay warm enough.

The most accurate record of glaciations in the last 2 to 3 million years was ___________.

Which of the following would NOT be a line of evidence that modern-day geologists could use,to infer the locations and directions of flow of former ice caps?

Approximately how much has sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 11,000 years ago?

By increasing the overall reflectance of solar radiation (sunlight),the growth of ice sheets produces conditions that are ____________ to their further advance,thus providing an example of ____________ feedback.

A universally-applicable term for glacially-derived sediments deposited on land is ____________.

Which statement about the difference between a piedmont glacier and a continental ice sheet is correct?

Glacial ice deforms by ____________ behavior near the top,but ____________ behavior beneath a depth of 60 m.

Cape Cod,Massachusetts,and Long Island,New York,are both examples of ____________.

Because glacial advance is driven by gravity,it is impossible for glaciers to advance over perfectly flat terrain.

In the glacier shown below,the diagonally oriented feature at location A is a(n)___________.

The figure below shows a conveyor belt as an analogy for a glacier.A,B,and C,respectively,are __________.

An intermediate product in the transformation of snow to glacial ice is ____________.

The figure below shows the North Pole/Arctic (left)and South Pole/Antarctica (right).Which of the following is probably NOT a difference between the two?

Cirques and horns are features associated with ____________.

Stratified sorted sand and gravel are deposited by ____________.

The average difference in sea level between ice ages and interglacial periods has been about ____________.

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

By increasing the overall reflectance of solar radiation (sunlight),the growth of ice sheets produces conditions that are to their further advance,thus providing an example of feedback.

Glacial ice deforms by behavior near the top,but behavior beneath a depth of 60 m.