Geology Exam 4

25 July 2022
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question
Smaller subsidiary channels that feed main channels of rivers are called:
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tributaries
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Which of the features on this aerial photograph is a cutbank?
Which of the features on this aerial photograph is a cutbank?
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B
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What happens to the erosive power of a stream as velocity increases?
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Erosion increases
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Which particles of sediment are most likely to be transported as suspended load?
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small, low density particles
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At which site along this stream would a point bar form?
At which site along this stream would a point bar form?
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b
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A depositional feature that has been deposited on the inside of a curve because of lower velocity is known as a:
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point bar
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What is a floodplain?
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A broad strip of land built up by sedimentation on either side of a stream channel. Covered with water during a flood.
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Which of the following sediment sizes is likely to be transported mostly on the bottom of the stream bed?
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pebbles and cobbles
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What type of stream is shown in this figure?
What type of stream is shown in this figure?
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meandering stream
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How is an alluvial fan formed?
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sediment is deposited by debris flows and streams that decrease in velocity along the mountain front
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Which of the following is a condition favoring deposition of sediment?
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a decrease in gradient of the stream
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This figure shows four numbered river terraces, with 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest. Which is the youngest terrace?
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4
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The percentage of the Earth's surface that is covered by water is about:
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70%.
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A delta that has islands reworked by waves on the seaward side, such as the Nile delta, is typically formed as in a(n) ____-dominated delta.
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wave
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A delta with long fingerlike sand bodies, each deposited in a distributary channel that progrades far seaward, such as the Mississippi River, is typically formed as in a(n) ____-dominated delta.
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stream
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The percentage of Earth's water that is in the oceans is:
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97%.
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What type of stream is shown in this photograph?
What type of stream is shown in this photograph?
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braided stream
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Which of the following is the main reason that a delta forms when a stream flows into a lake or sea?
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the velocity of the stream decreases
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Soluble materials in flowing water can be removed and transported by a process called:
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dissolution
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Which of the features on this aerial photograph is an oxbow lake?
Which of the features on this aerial photograph is an oxbow lake?
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c
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The Dakota Sandstone is threatened primarily by:
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extensive use
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The water table is the:
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top of the zone of saturation
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The average rate of groundwater flow is:
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a few centimeters per day
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A part of a stream that receives water from the inflow of ground water is called a:
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gaining stream
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Conditions needed for the development of karst topography include:
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humid climate AND carbonate bedrock at a shallow depth.
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The general term for deposits of calcite and/or aragonite within caves is:
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dripstone.
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Which of the following is true about the water table?
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The water table has a similar shape to topography but is more subdued.
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The permeability of a material refers to:
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the ability of water to flow through a material
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This cross section shows the location of 5 wells and the water table? Which well is most likely to be an artesian well?
This cross section shows the location of 5 wells and the water table? Which well is most likely to be an artesian well?
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well E
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The area of subsurface where the pore spaces are filled with water is called the
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saturated zone
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This cross section shows the location of a septic tank with harmful bacteria and 5 wells. Which well is least likely to become contaminated?
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well E
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Which of the following materials probably has the lowest permeability?
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compacted clay with abundant tiny pore spaces
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A cone of depression can form if:
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groundwater is overpumped from an aquifer
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What could happen if this well is overpumped?
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the bottom of the lens of fresh water will rise, causing the well to draw in salt water
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A spring is a place where water flows naturally from rock
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onto the land surface
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The zone of saturation extends to an indefinite depth.
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False
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A poorly sorted porous rock/sediment is as permeable as a well-sorted porous rock/sediment.
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False
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Subsidence can occur as the result of extraction of oil.
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True
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In developed countries, toxic wastes are disposed of safely and properly.
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False
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Rocks such as limestone and granite cannot be groundwater reservoirs.
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False
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What happens to snowflakes as they become progressively buried within glaciers?
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they become crystals of ice
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What does a terminal moraine represent?
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a pile of sediment deposited at the end of the glacier
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Straight scratches on rock surfaces created by glacial abrasion are known as:
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glacial striations
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What feature will be formed by the sediment carried along the sides of this glacier?
What feature will be formed by the sediment carried along the sides of this glacier?
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lateral moraine
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The present-day tilt of Earth's axis of rotation is 23.5º degrees. What would be the result of more tilt, as shown here?
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24.5 - Axis of Rotation - Answer is all of these. :high latitudes would receive more direct sunlight, causing warmer summer an increase in the effects of the seasons a decrease in glacial activity all of these
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he present-day tilt of Earth's axis of rotation is 23.5º. What would be the result of less tilt, as shown here?
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22.5 - high latitudes would receive less direct sunlight during the summer, causing cooler temperatures
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The Pleistocene Ice Age ended:
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10,000 years ago.
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The largest existing glacier is located in:
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Antarctica
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What type of moraine is formed by the merging of two lateral moraines at a junction of two valley glaciers?
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medial
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What does this curved ridge (esker) record?
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meltwater channels below or within a glacier
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Which of the following is NOT a way glaciers move downhill?
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the lower part of a glacier flows faster than the upper part
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The reason that Earth is now closest to the Sun in January, but will be closest in July in 11,000 years, is
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precession of the equinoxes.
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Short-term climatic events, such as the Little Ice Age, may be caused by:
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No one really knows.
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Which of the following best describes what would happen if the glacial budget is out of balance, with ablation exceeding accumulation?
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The glacier will retreat.
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Which best describes the difference between an end moraine and a ground moraine?
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Ground moraines form while the glacier is retreating, and end moraines form while it is stationary.
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The Little Ice Age ended in the mid- to late-1800s.
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True
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The terms glacier and permanent snowfield are synonymous.
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False
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Kames are long, sinuous ridges of stratified drift, which may meander and have tributaries.
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True
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If the firn limit on a glacier does not change from year to year, the glacier has a balanced snow budget.
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True
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An arête is a narrow, serrated ridge between two glacial valleys or adjacent cirques.
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True
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Glaciers are geologically important because they erode, transport, and deposit so much material.
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True
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The terms valley glacier and mountain glacier are synonymous.
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True
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The terms continental glacier and ice sheet are synonymous.
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True
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There is good evidence that variation in solar energy, as evinced by sunspot activity cycles, is responsible for short-term climatic variations.
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False
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How could changes in Earth's tilt influence global climate?
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A minimum angle of tilt causes high latitudes to receive less sunlight during the summer, causing an increase in glaciers.
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Today, which land area in the Northern Hemisphere is largely covered by an ice sheet?
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Greenland
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Which of the following statements about glacial movement is correct?
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Ice movement is fastest in the top center of the glacier.
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Till is:
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neither sorted nor stratified
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What carved this U-shaped valley
What carved this U-shaped valley
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glacier
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____ are glacier-cut valleys that flooded as sea level rose in post-glacial times.
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Fjords