Question 1

Catastrophic subsidence into sinkholes tends to occur more often in areas underlain by ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  acidic freshwater flowing through limestone
B)  basic freshwater flowing through limestone
C)  acidic saltwater flowing through sandstone
D)  basic freshwater flowing through sandstone
E)  basic saltwater flowing through sandstone A

Question 2

Land subsidence is worsened by the cessation of groundwater pumping,because the additional water that is retained underground weakens the rock,making it subside more easily.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

Despite what some old movies show,quicksand does not suck people or other objects down.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 4

There are certain times when a hill containing clay minerals is weaker than at other times,and then gravity has a better chance of provoking a slope failure.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Humans can cause landslides to occur by ______________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  adding fill dirt high on hill slopes to improve the view,thus adding to the driving mass.
B)  removing material from the base of a slope to widen or clear a road or to form a building lot,thus weakening the resisting mass.
C)  Both of these are correct.
D)  Neither of these are correct.

Question 6

The Houston-Galveston,Texas,area has been sinking.This is related to the _______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  withdrawal of groundwater by pumping
B)  dissolution of limestones
C)  emptying of a magma chamber
D)  weight of all the high-rise buildings and houses
E)  dissolution of a salt layer

Question 7

The most likely explanation for how highly fluidized rock flows occur is that ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the jostling of fragments in the flowing mass provides energy that propagates as trapped sound waves and supports the particles,thus fluidizing the mass (acoustic fluidization) 
B)  water lubricates the material,allowing it to flow (hydro fluidization) 
C)  steam lubricates the material,allowing it to flow (aqueous fluidization) 
D)  the flowing mass rides on a cushion of compressed air (jetting) 
E)  heat generated by friction melts material within the mass,allowing it to flow (thermal fluidization)

Question 8

The materials most commonly associated with earth failures are ______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  clay minerals
B)  quartz
C)  granite
D)  basalt
E)  pahoehoe

Question 9

Freshwater passing through uplifted sediments containing quick clay changes the sea salt content leaving quick clay with all but which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  weak structure
B)  grains mostly less than 0.002 mm diameter
C)  water contents commonly in excess of 50 percent
D)  a high salt content
E)  All of these choices are correct.

Question 10

The amount of water in pore spaces has no effect on mass movements of earth materials.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The Italian city of ____________ is trying to save itself from slow subsidence and sea level rise.

Accepted Answer

A)  Rome
B)  Florence
C)  Turin
D)  Pisa
E)  Venice

Question 12

Creep is an ultra-slow,almost imperceptible upslope movement of the soil and uppermost bedrock zones.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

In ________________,masses move down and out by sliding on planes of weakness,such as faults,bedding,or clay rich layers.

Accepted Answer

A)  rock falls
B)  translational slides
C)  rotational slides
D)  debris flows
E)  struzstroms

Question 14

The underlying cause of the Rissa,Norway,landslide was ______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  dissolution of salt in the soil
B)  too much gypsum in the soil
C)  over-steepening of slopes of volcanic ash
D)  freezing and thawing of piles of glacial boulders
E)  layering of volcanic pyroclasts

Question 15

Basal failure surfaces for landslides typically are either curved in a concave-upward sense or nearly planar.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The orientation of rock layering within a hill can either enhance or hinder the chances of slope failure.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Before a landslide mass begins to move downhill,it must overcome ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  gravity and friction
B)  inertia and gravity
C)  inertia and friction
D)  gravity and creep

Question 18

There are certain times when a hill containing clay minerals is weaker than at other times,and then gravity has a better chance of provoking a slope failure.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Of the following types of mass movements,which can move fastest?

Accepted Answer

A)  creep
B)  translational rockslide
C)  avalanche
D)  mudflow
E)  earth flow

Question 20

Water molecules can attach their positive sides against clay minerals because clay surfaces are also positively charged.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 15: Mass Movements

Catastrophic subsidence into sinkholes tends to occur more often in areas underlain by ________________.

Land subsidence is worsened by the cessation of groundwater pumping,because the additional water that is retained underground weakens the rock,making it subside more easily.

Despite what some old movies show,quicksand does not suck people or other objects down.

There are certain times when a hill containing clay minerals is weaker than at other times,and then gravity has a better chance of provoking a slope failure.

Humans can cause landslides to occur by ______________________.

The Houston-Galveston,Texas,area has been sinking.This is related to the _______________.

The most likely explanation for how highly fluidized rock flows occur is that ________________.

The materials most commonly associated with earth failures are ______________.

Freshwater passing through uplifted sediments containing quick clay changes the sea salt content leaving quick clay with all but which of the following?

The amount of water in pore spaces has no effect on mass movements of earth materials.

The Italian city of ____________ is trying to save itself from slow subsidence and sea level rise.

Creep is an ultra-slow,almost imperceptible upslope movement of the soil and uppermost bedrock zones.

In ________________,masses move down and out by sliding on planes of weakness,such as faults,bedding,or clay rich layers.

The underlying cause of the Rissa,Norway,landslide was ______________.

Basal failure surfaces for landslides typically are either curved in a concave-upward sense or nearly planar.

The orientation of rock layering within a hill can either enhance or hinder the chances of slope failure.

Before a landslide mass begins to move downhill,it must overcome ________________.

There are certain times when a hill containing clay minerals is weaker than at other times,and then gravity has a better chance of provoking a slope failure.

Of the following types of mass movements,which can move fastest?

Water molecules can attach their positive sides against clay minerals because clay surfaces are also positively charged.