Ch5 Question Bank With Solutions PDF

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MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question 1) Which are examples of Earth's external processes? A) volcanism and mountain building B) radioactive decay, convection, and recrystallization C) compaction, dewatering, and cementation of sediments D) erosion, weathering, and mass wasting

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2) The downslope transfer of loose rock and soil particles by the force of gravity is called ________. A) mass migration B) slopewash C) mass wasting D) gravity

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3) Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope? A) mass wasting B) slope sheeting C) podzolization D) talus transfer

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4) The physical removal of dissolved or disaggregated rock from the site of weathering by wind, water or ice is termed ________. A) recidivism B) erosion C) solifluction D) ablation

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5) Which one of the following statements best describes erosion? A) the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere B) movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope C) disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface D) the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting

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6) Which one of the following statements concerning mechanical weathering is not true? A) is important in the formation of talus slopes B) allows for faster rates of chemical weathering C) involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material D) reduces grain sizes of rock particles

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7) ________ is the dissolution or decomposition of minerals and rocks. A) Mechanical weathering B) Chemical weathering C) Hydrolysis D) Rendering

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8) As ________ increases the surface area of a rock or mineral, this allows ________ to occur at a faster rate. A) recrystallization, carnal weathering B) infernal weathering, mechanistic weathering C) mechanical weathering, chemical weathering D) chemical weathering, mechanical weathering

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9) The principal causes of mechanical fragmentation of rocks in place are ________. A) always inscrutable because they happened at some time in the past B) the relentless actions of Sisyphus C) erosion and transport by moving wind, water, or ice biologic activity, expansion from unloading, frost wedging

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10) In which area would weathering by frost wedging probably be most effective? n moist, temperate climates B) where the subsoil is permanently frozen C) in cool high desert areas D) in a moist, tropical forest

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11) Which one of the following is an important, mechanical weathering process for enlarging fractures and extending them deeper into large boulders and bedrock? frost wedging B) oxidation C) hydrologic cycling D) eluviation

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12) Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statement is true? ater expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apar B) water expands as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pushed apar C) water shrinks as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be drawn closer together D) water shrinks as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pulled closer together

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13) Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material? A) C soil horizons B) lunar soils C) tropical laterites talus slopes

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14) Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep bedrock slope or cliff? A) bajada B) rock and roll talus slope D) fanglomerate

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15) Which of the following best describes sets of fractures in relatively fresh bedrock, such as granite that are roughly parallel to the land surface? A) columnar joints B) hydrolytic failures sheeting fractures D) thermal expansion cracks

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16) ________ is the great reduction in pressure from erosion and it leads to the formation of ________ in mountainous exposures of granitic batholiths. A) Offloading, deep valleys B) Flatulence, plateaus C) Relief, horns or tinds D) Unloading, exfoliation domes

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17) ________ are regularly spaced planar fracture sets in rocks that result from: expansional unloading, tectonic forces or thermal contraction upon cooling (especially igneous rocks). A) Faults B) Joints C) Fissures D) Cracks

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18) The three major processes involved in chemical weathering are ________. A) precipitation, ion exchange reactions, and degasification B) carbonation, dissimulation, and salinization C) recrystallization, pitting, and rinsing D) dissolution, hydrolysis, and oxidation

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19) Dissolution of minerals occurs because most minerals are ionic crystals and ________ A) their bonds eventually wear out B) water selectively absorbs all of their electrons until the crystals fall apart C) water selectively removes all of their smaller anions. D) water molecules are strongly polarized, effectively competing with ionic bonds

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20) In nature, where does the acidity come from to speed up chemical weathering? A) sulphuric acid released by the oxidation of pyrite B) carbonic and other oxy-acids from industrial burning in the form of acid rain C) organic acids from decaying organic matter D) all of the above

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21) Which of the following is/are most susceptible to chemical weathering by dissolution? A) calcite B) clay minerals C) quartz D) iron oxides

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22) How long do the acid generating gases from fossil fuel combustion remain in the lower levels of the atmosphere and how far do they travel? A) weeks to months, only locally B) a few hours to a few days, up to several thousand kilometres C) less than a few hours; a few kilometres D) several years, around the world

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23) What oxidized iron bearing minerals generally form as the residue of weathering? A) ferrous feldspars B) goethite, hematite, and limonite C) olivine, pyroxene, and amphibole D) pyrite and native iron

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24) What chemical weathering process associated with surface mining activities is a major environmental hazard? A) recurrent landslides from unstable talings piles B) oxidation of pyrite and other sulphides to produce 'mine acid' or acid rock drainage C) coal oxidation D) release of oxidized mine gases

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25) Hydrolysis is ________ to weaken or destroy the mineral lattice. A) the chemical removal of bonded hydrogens B) the conversion of useless minerals to hydrogen gas C) the dissolution of minerals by water D) the replacement of mineral cations by hydrogen ions from solution

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26) Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering? A) syntropical B) mechanical C) proactive D) chemical

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27) Clay minerals, silica (SiO2), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process? A) chemical weathering of olivine and plagioclase feldspar B) differential mechanical weathering of micas C) chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar D) mechanical weathering of granite and rhyolite

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28) Which of the following statements about acidic precipitation is likely to be false? A) lowered taxes and relaxed governmental regulations will result in more private and public sector spending to reduce emissions of acid- forming gases to the atmosphere B) chemical weathering and deterioration of exposed rock and metal surfaces will accelerate if acidic precipitation increases C) fish and other aquatic species in acidified lakes will eventually die off and disappear due to the toxic effects of the acidic waters and increased levels of dissolved aluminum D) damage to trees and plants, especially to tender new growth, will intensify if acidic precipitation worsens

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29) ________ is the most common mineral breakdown product of KAlSi 3O 8 (potassium feldspar).

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A) kaolinite

B) quartz

C) calcite

D) asbestos

30) What two, chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals alone? A) insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium bicarbonates B) soluble sodium and potassium bicarbonates C) silica and soluble calcium bicarbonate D) silica and insoluble clay minerals

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31) Which would make the longest lasting headstone for Granny's grave in 'Peaceful Acres' on the eas side of Toronto? A) a pink Precambrian quartzite B) a large rough limestone slab from a quarry near Kingston C) a polished fine grained basalt D) a coarse grained grey granite

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32) The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil- colouring minerals originate by what process? A) precipitation of insoluble iron oxides during the chemical weathering process B) chemical weathering of quartz and feldspars C) mechanical weathering of the feldspars and micas in granite and rhyolite D) mechanical weathering of very fine-grained, blue-grey clays

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33) What mineral particles are the dominant colouring agents in reddish, brownish, and yellowish soils? A) soluble potassium and sodium bicarbonates B) dust-sized grains of iron oxides C) very fine-sized silica and calcite particles D) humus and calcium carbonate

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34) Ordinary chemical weathering of rock forming minerals like feldspar and amphibole produces ________. A) dissolved clays and iron hydroxides B) all of the sodium and chloride ions that make the salt content of the seas C) soluble silica and ions (Ca+ 2 , Na+ , Mg+ 2 ) plus residues of clay minerals

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D) solid residues of quartz and reduced iron compounds

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35) How do large, spheroidal boulders form from massive bedrock? A) the corners and edges of fracture-bounded blocks are weathered faster than the planar areas of the fracture surfaces B) exfoliation breaks a fresh, spherical block from the bedrock C) an angular block, broken away from bedrock, gets rounded by rolling down a slope D) a fresh rock slab is broken out along sheeting fractures and then rounded by residua laterization

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36) Which of the following best explains why angular, crack-bounded, granitic blocks weather to spheroidal boulders? A) weathering agents have more direct access to edges and corners than to other parts of the block B) interiors of blocks are constantly damp or wet because sunlight cannot penetrate C) they slowly roll over in place and wear off the corners first D) crack surfaces of blocks heat and cool more rapidly than edges and corners

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37) What portion of an angular, fracture-bounded granitic block shows the highest rate of weathering? A) the crack surfaces not including edges and corners B) the unfractured interior C) the exposed edges and corners D) the middle of faces bounded by a single large fracture

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38) Under similar warm, moist climatic conditions, why would basalt and gabbro generally have higher chemical weathering rates than rhyolite and granite? A) the quartz in the gabbro and basalt decomposes very quickly B) the plagioclase feldspars in the granite and rhyolite decompose readily to clay minerals and iron oxides C) the ferromagnesian minerals in the gabbro and basalt are subject to oxidation and chemica breakdown D) the potassium feldspars and quartz in the rhyolite and granite are more susceptible to cracking by frost wedging

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39) What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils? A) high temperatures; very dry B) low temperatures; very dry C) warm temperatures; very moist D) low temperatures; very moist

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40) In which of the following climates would rates of chemical weathering generally be highest? A) cold and moist B) warm and dry C) warm and moist D) cold and dry

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41) Which of the following affects both the kind of soil and its rate of formation? A) climate (precipitation and temperature) B) slope angle and direction C) biota (plants and animals) D) parent material E) all of the above

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42) Which term describes a soil formed by weathering of the underlying bedrock? A) residual B) relict C) transubstantiated D) transported

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43) In the Rockies, north-facing slopes (downhill direction is toward the north) are typically more moist and heavily forested than south- facing slopes. Why? A) north- facing slopes receive more sunlight in the summer; snow melts faster and more soil moisture is available for the trees B) south- facing slopes receive more moisture and sunlight; rock weathering is slower C) South-facing slopes receive less moisture, yet rock weathering is faster D) north- facing slopes receive about the same amount of precipitation as south-facing slopes but less moisture evaporates from north- facing slopes

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44) From the land surface downward to the unweathered bedrock, which of the following is the correct order of the different soil horizons? B) D, E, C, B, A, bedrock C) A, B, C, D, E, bedrock D) E, A, B, C, O, bedrock

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45) Which of the following statements concerning humus is not true? A) is less abundant in wet, tropical, forested areas than in temperate, forested areas B) consists of decaying and partly decayed leaves and other plant materials C) is readily leached from the B horizon in weakly acidic, soil solutions D) is typically found above the B soil horizon

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46) Which of the following best describes the A soil horizon? A) residual zone C) regolith zone

46) D) erosion zone

47) Which of the following best describes the process of eluviation? A) feldspar decomposition and leaching of the soluble products from the C soil horizon B) removal of soluble chemical constituents from the A and B soil horizons C) buildup of calcite in the B horizon of pedocal soils D) percolating water removes very fine-sized silt and clay particles from the A & E soil horizons

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48) Which of the following describes a characteristic process in the formation of a pedalfer soil? A) clays are eluviated upward from the C horizon B) iron oxides and aluminum-rich clays are precipitated in the B horizon C) humus accumulates below the solum in the C-horizon D) soil bacteria produce organic acids that precipitate calcium carbonate in the B horizon

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49) Why is the humus layer typically thicker in a cool, temperate, forest soil than in a tropical rainforest soil? A) less humus is produced in the tropical rainforest because the B horizon is so poorly developed B) in a tropical rainforest, the forest-floor litter is often burned during the dry season C) less humus is produced in the cool, temperate forest but the rate of decay and oxidation is slower than in a tropical rainforest D) more humus is produced in the tropical rainforest, but it is quickly washed away by the heavy rains

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50) In which area are pedocal soils most likely to be found? A) a forested area of SE Manitoba B) a moderately dry to semiarid grassland such as SW Saskatchewan C) a tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin of Brazil D) a bitterly cold, permafrost area in north- central Siberia

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51) Caliche is an excessive accumulation of ________. A) clays in the A horizon of a laterite B) calcite in the E horizon of a pedalfer C) calcium carbonate in the B horizon of a pedocal D) clays in hardpan layers of a pedocal

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52) Which of the following statements about laterites or tropical rainforests is true? A) rainforests regenerate quickly following clear cutting or clearing for agriculture B) laterite soils readily compact and hardened when dried and exposed to sunlight C) laterites, with proper management, are very suitable for commercial agriculture D) laterite soils are very rich in nutrients required for vigorous plant growth

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53) Lateritic soils form under what climatic conditions? A) moist and temperate as in southwest BC B) warm and moist as in a wet, tropical forest C) hot and dry as in the desert regions of North Africa and Arabia D) cool and relatively dry as in Nunavut

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54) Which of the following statements concerning lateritic soils is generally not true? A) They consist of only the most insoluble, soil- forming minerals such as iron oxides, aluminum oxides, and clays. B) They are mainly red in colour. C) They remain highly productive agriculturally without additions of fertilizers. D) They form in warm, moist, tropical climates.

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55) What is represented by the A, E, B, and C soil horizons in luvisol, podsol or chernozem? A) primary, depositional layering in a transported soil B) an in situ response to an extended period of weathering

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56) What is the common soil formed in moist, temperate areas like most of Quebec and the Maritimes? A) cryosol B) pedalfer (podzol) C) chernozem D) luvisol

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57) Which soil is commonly formed in Yukon and what is the inferred environment? A) brunisol, dry young forest with long winters B) podzol, cool moist temperate forest C) cryosol, permafrost and tundra D) gleysol, flooded or poorly drained muskeg

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58) What type of soil and climate typify SE Alberta and SW Saskatchewan? A) cryosol,, frozen tundra B) chernozem, cool sub-arid grasslands C) solonetzic and pedocal, semi- arid grassland with alkali and salt tolerant plants D) luvisol, cool climate with limestone bedrock

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59) Where would you be best advised to attempt large scale, natural plantations of a popular broad-leafed recreational plant that could thrive untended in a pedalfer (podzol) with a temperate climate and enough rain? B) Saskatchewan C) Manitoba D) Alberta

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60) Which one of the following statements concerning soil erosion is not true? A) Rates of soil erosion exceed rates of soil formation in some parts of the world. B) Soils form naturally by weathering; if protected from erosion, sound management can maintain or enhance their nutrient levels and textural characteristics. C) Grasses and other vegetation, windbreaks, and contour cropping will help reduce losses of soil from cultivated lands. Sheet erosion, rills, and gullies develop mainly during prolonged droughts.

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61) Which of the following best describes the "Dust Bowl"? A) the area covered by volcanic ash around Mt. Pinatubo, 1991 B) the long drought preceding the Irish potato famine of the 1840s C) a New Year's Day invitational soccer match in Tripoli, Libya D) areas of severe wind erosion on the Prairies, 1930s

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TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false 62) Weathering is considered an internal process, because it involves chemical changes in minerals

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63) Weathering generally accentuates the differences in minerals and rocks, serving to sculpt unusua shapes and spectacular landscapes.

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64) Weathering only acts on naturally occurring rocks and minerals, not on man made substances like concrete, glass, metal or plastic.

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65) Decomposition is another term for chemical weathering; mechanical weathering involves rock materials being broken into smaller pa...