Exam 7: Mass Wasting and Related Hazards

Suppose that engineers are unable to keep earth materials from coming down onto a highway. In this case, which of the following would be the most economical and effective technique for reducing the hazard?

Which of the following forms of mass wasting involves the slow, down slope movement of individual soil and rock particles?

It is nearly impossible for scientists and engineers to predict where slope failure may occur.

What best describes the way in which mass-wasting events are classified?

Which of the following best describes a mass wasting event referred to as a flow?

Imagine a section of highway with a large outcrop of fractured rock that poses a serious rockfall hazard. Which of the following engineering controls would be the best choice for minimizing the chance of large rocks falling onto the roadway?

Which of the following best explains why excessive amounts of water can destabilize a slope?

Stability of earth materials on slopes depends on the balance of gravitational and frictional forces. Which of the following does NOT have a measurable effect on the balance between gravity and friction?

Pumping oil from the subsurface can result in subsidence.

Unlike mass wasting, gradual subsidence and sudden collapse involve the movement of earth materials without any slope. Sudden collapse is typically caused by which of the following?

Which of the following best describes a mass wasting event referred to as a slide?

Which of the following forms of mass wasting involves both sliding and flowing?

Which of the following human activities commonly causes the over-steepening of slopes, which then leads to mass wasting?

The use of engineering controls is one of the two basic methods for minimizing mass wasting hazards. Which of the following is the other basic approach used to minimize mass wasting hazards?

Which of the following best describes why snow avalanches occur?

Which of the following engineering controls would be best suited to strengthen a slope that has been over-steepened by cutting into the hillside during highway construction?

Highway tunnels are very expensive, but are often times more cost effective over the long-term compared to the cost of repeated repairs and maintenance in areas where mass wasting is difficult to control.

Which of the following is a common triggering mechanism that causes slopes to fail suddenly?

Which of the following best describes a mass wasting event referred to as a fall?

Which of the following earth materials is most likely to produce a vertical cliff that is fairly stable?