Exam 4: Weathering, soil, and Mass Wasting

Consider a weathered rock or soil particle lying on a slope.How will the gravitational force pulling the particle downward along the land surface vary with the inclination of the slope?

Which one of the following statements best describes erosion?

Organisms contribute to soils formation by ________.

Which of the following is not a significant factor triggering mass wasting events?

Which one of the following is an important,mechanical weathering process for enlarging fractures and extending them deeper into large boulders and bedrock?

Rounding of angular edges of rock outcropping and formation of insitu,spherical boulders are both indications of ________.

How do freezing,thawing,wetting,and drying contribute to soil creep?

You buy land in the tropics on steep mountain slopes covered by large trees and deep soil.You want to build a house on the land.Which of the following building plans is a very bad idea because of the danger of triggering mass wasting?

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

As an erosional process,how is mass wasting unique compared to wind,water,and ice?

In North America "no till farming" has become a widespread practice made possible by genetically modified (GM)crops that can be sprayed with herbicide that kills everything but the GM plant.Evaluate the following statements on the role of GM crops on soil conservation issues?

A mass wasting process that involves rotational motion of material sliding above a distinct slip surface is called ________.

________ is the basic force that moves or accelerates soil and regolith down a slope.

A scarp is the exposed portion of the rupture surface beneath a slump block.

Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern. -wind water mass wasting ice

Features like rock ledges in badlands or rock fins standing above adjacent valleys are all examples of ________.

How does deforestation by fire or human activity contribute to mass wasting?

frost wedging mass wasting sheeting oxidation

Engineers refer to any loose material on the surface of the Earth as soil.How does this differ from the definition used in Earth sciences?

Deep soils are characteristic of tropical regions whereas thin rocky soils are characteristic of high latitudes.This is a natural demonstration that ________.