Question 1

Mass movements are driven by __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the addition of moisture 
B)  friction 
C)  cohesion 
D)  gravity 
A)  the addition of moisture 
B)  friction 
C)  cohesion 
D)  gravity

Question 2

A ________ may form at the head of a slump.

Accepted Answer

A)  toe 
B)  failure surface 
C)  scarp 
D)  mass 
A)  toe 
B)  failure surface 
C)  scarp 
D)  mass

Question 3

What is a turbidity current? How is this related to mass movements?

Accepted Answer

A turbidity current is a submarine mass

Question 4

What is the most effective means of mitigating the risk of a slope failure for slope shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  applying shotcrete 
B)  revegetating with new plants 
C)  installing riprap 
D)  dewatering the slope 
A)  applying shotcrete 
B)  revegetating with new plants 
C)  installing riprap 
D)  dewatering the slope

Question 5

Describe two factors that affect the resistance force and explain how they affect the stability of the slope.

Accepted Answer

Student answers may contain two of the f

Question 6

The downslope movement of which of the following materials does NOT constitute a mass wasting event?

Accepted Answer

A)  water 
B)  snow 
C)  ice 
D)  rock 
A)  water 
B)  snow 
C)  ice 
D)  rock

Question 7

Why does the removal of material at the base of a slope decrease its stability?

Accepted Answer

A)  Removing material decreases the surface tension between grains. 
B)  The force of gravity decreases,and the slope will fail. 
C)  The slope now has a much lower angle of repose. 
D)  The slope now exceeds the angle of repose. 
A)  Removing material decreases the surface tension between grains. 
B)  The force of gravity decreases,and the slope will fail. 
C)  The slope now has a much lower angle of repose. 
D)  The slope now exceeds the angle of repose.

Question 8

Geologists distinguish among different types of mass wasting based on factors such as the ________ of the moving material and the rate of movement.

Accepted Answer

A)  weight 
B)  color 
C)  composition 
D)  name 
A)  weight 
B)  color 
C)  composition 
D)  name

Question 9

How can the amount of water play a role in slope stability and slope failure?

Accepted Answer

The attractive forces between water mole

Question 10

Lahars occur on ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  volcanic slopes 
B)  vertical cliff faces 
C)  undersea slopes 
D)  divergent plate boundaries 
A)  volcanic slopes 
B)  vertical cliff faces 
C)  undersea slopes 
D)  divergent plate boundaries

Question 11

Notice the cliff in the image below.Is this cliff stable? Why or why not? What could be done to increase the stability of the cliff?

Accepted Answer

Student answers should be similar to the

Question 12

Which of the following types of mass movement takes place most gradually?

Accepted Answer

A)  slump 
B)  creep 
C)  rock slide 
D)  mudflow 
A)  slump 
B)  creep 
C)  rock slide 
D)  mudflow

Question 13

What is the resistance force and how is it derived? What happens when the resistance force exceeds the downslope force? What happens when the downslope force exceeds the resistance force?

Accepted Answer

The resistance force comes from chemical

Question 14

Which of the following situations would be the most susceptible to slope failure?

Accepted Answer

A)  a large mansion built on top of a gentle sloping hill covered with vegetation 
B)  a hotel built on a flat surface with a large river flowing next to the hotel 
C)  a large resort built on top of a cliff directly above the ocean 
D)  a small house built on top of a steep slope in a desert region 
A)  a large mansion built on top of a gentle sloping hill covered with vegetation 
B)  a hotel built on a flat surface with a large river flowing next to the hotel 
C)  a large resort built on top of a cliff directly above the ocean 
D)  a small house built on top of a steep slope in a desert region

Question 15

The ________ in the sequence of sedimentary rocks shown below may become a failure surface.

Accepted Answer

A)  bedding planes 
B)  exfoliation joints 
C)  foliation planes 
D)  uplift planes 
A)  bedding planes 
B)  exfoliation joints 
C)  foliation planes 
D)  uplift planes

Question 16

Examine the photograph below.What type of mass wasting event is beginning to take place here? How can you tell?

Accepted Answer

In this picture a slump is beginning to

Question 17

You are a geologist trying to determine if the slope your client's house sits on is stable.You determine that the angle of repose of the hillside is 35°.Which of the following situations would be considered stable?

Accepted Answer

A)  The slope is composed of water-saturated sand. 
B)  The slope is composed of dry sand. 
C)  The slope is composed of very well-rounded sand. 
D)  The slope is composed of dry gravel. 
A)  The slope is composed of water-saturated sand. 
B)  The slope is composed of dry sand. 
C)  The slope is composed of very well-rounded sand. 
D)  The slope is composed of dry gravel.

Question 18

Identify the toe of the slump in the image below.

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Question 19

Which of the following types of mass movement often travels down a curved surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  slump 
B)  creep 
C)  rock slide 
D)  mudflow 
A)  slump 
B)  creep 
C)  rock slide 
D)  mudflow

Question 20

Why do submarine slumps pose a hazard to people living in coastal areas?

Accepted Answer

A)  Submarine slumps can trigger other mass movements on land. 
B)  Submarine slumps can induce liquefaction of the nearby land surface. 
C)  Submarine slumps can trigger tsunamis. 
D)  Submarine slumps can trigger earthquakes. 
A)  Submarine slumps can trigger other mass movements on land. 
B)  Submarine slumps can induce liquefaction of the nearby land surface. 
C)  Submarine slumps can trigger tsunamis. 
D)  Submarine slumps can trigger earthquakes.

Exam 16: Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Mass movements are driven by __________.

A ________ may form at the head of a slump.

What is a turbidity current? How is this related to mass movements?

What is the most effective means of mitigating the risk of a slope failure for slope shown in the figure below?

Describe two factors that affect the resistance force and explain how they affect the stability of the slope.

The downslope movement of which of the following materials does NOT constitute a mass wasting event?

Why does the removal of material at the base of a slope decrease its stability?

Geologists distinguish among different types of mass wasting based on factors such as the ________ of the moving material and the rate of movement.

How can the amount of water play a role in slope stability and slope failure?

Lahars occur on ________.

Notice the cliff in the image below.Is this cliff stable? Why or why not? What could be done to increase the stability of the cliff?

Which of the following types of mass movement takes place most gradually?

What is the resistance force and how is it derived? What happens when the resistance force exceeds the downslope force? What happens when the downslope force exceeds the resistance force?

Which of the following situations would be the most susceptible to slope failure?

The ________ in the sequence of sedimentary rocks shown below may become a failure surface.

Examine the photograph below.What type of mass wasting event is beginning to take place here? How can you tell?

You are a geologist trying to determine if the slope your client's house sits on is stable.You determine that the angle of repose of the hillside is 35°.Which of the following situations would be considered stable?

Identify the toe of the slump in the image below.

Which of the following types of mass movement often travels down a curved surface?

Why do submarine slumps pose a hazard to people living in coastal areas?

Cosmology and the Birth of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

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

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of the Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

An Envelope of Gas: the Earths Atmosphere and Climate

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

a Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

the Rock Cycle in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, Revisited: Seismic Layering, Gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Prelude: and Just What Is Geology

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