Ch03 Test Bank Physical Geography Landforms Exam Questions

Chapter 03 Test Bank: Physical Geography: Landforms Key

1. The earth is approximately __________ billion years old.

A. 3.5
B. 4.5
C. 6.0
D. 10 to 12

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Section: 03.02 Geologic Time
Topic: Continental Drift

2. An intrusive igneous rock is formed from

A. lava that cools rapidly on the earth's surface.
B. magma that cools slowly beneath the earth's surface.
C. other rocks that are transformed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions beneath the earth's surface.
D. sediments that have accumulated under water in horizontal beds.

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

3. Which one of the following groups contains only sedimentary rocks?

A. limestone, sandstone, granite
B. conglomerate, limestone, shale
C. marble, basalt, conglomerate
D. slate, gneiss, marble

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

4. The separation of South America from Africa was caused by
A. a convergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
B. a divergent plate boundary in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
C. subduction along the Atlantic Coast of South America.
D. subduction along the Atlantic Coast of Africa.

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Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

5. A large destructive sea wave resulting from an earthquake is called a

A. tidal wave.
B. Pangaea.
C. tsunami.
D. subduction.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

6. The breaking up of rock by freezing and thawing is the result of

A. chemical weathering.
B. mass wasting.
C. erosion.
D. mechanical weathering.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

7. This depositional feature is created in arid regions when a stream exits the mountains and enters a flat lowland.

A. oxbow-shaped lake
B. delta
C. natural levee
D. alluvial fan

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

8. The landform often formed at the mouth of a heavily silted stream is called

A. a delta.
B. a spit.
C. an offshore bar.
D. a lateral moraine.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

9. Which of the following statements about karst topography is NOT true?

A. It is found in limestone regions.
B. It is found in arid regions.
C. It results from the action of water.
D. It often results in sinkholes and caverns.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

10. The theory of continental drift was formulated because

A. of the remarkable fit of the continents.
B. scientists observed that the Atlantic Ocean was widening.
C. of the mountain ranges on the fringes of the Pacific Ocean.
D. the landforms moved over faults.

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Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

11. The world's tallest mountains were formed by

A. mechanical weathering.
B. fluid basaltic lava flows.
C. the collision of the Pacific and North American plates.
D. the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

12. Which of the following groups contain only landforms produced by glacial deposition?

A. lateral moraines, fiords, permafrost
B. outwash plain, lateral moraines, fiords
C. lateral moraines, terminal moraines, outwash plain
D. fiords, outwash plains, terminal moraines

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

13. Which of the following rock types is formed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions within the earth's crust acting on the other two major types of rocks?

A. tectonic
B. metamorphic
C. sedimentary
D. igneous

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

14. Which of the following processes was responsible for the Ridge and Valley region of the eastern United States?

A. jointing
B. faulting
C. folding
D. earthquakes

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

15. Earthquakes result from

A. the reduction in surface tension following a buildup of tectonic forces.
B. vibrations caused by seismic waves.
C. seismic waves.
D. the buildup of tension as tectonic forces are applied.

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

16. The Richter scale is a well-known measure of the magnitude of

A. seismic waves.
B. tsunamis.
C. epicenters.
D. tectonic forces.

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17. If a land surface where a mountain once stood is now a low, flat plain, __________ have been at work.

A. tectonic forces
B. volcanoes
C. gradational processes
D. earthquakes

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

18. Which of the following groups contains processes caused only by mechanical weathering?

A. frost action, root action, development of salt crystals
B. hydrolysis, oxidation, carbonation
C. frost action, carbonation, root action
D. development of salt crystals, oxidation, carbonation

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

19. The most important erosional agent is

A. groundwater flow.
B. chemical oxidation.
C. running water.
D. wind.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

20. Which of the following landforms results mainly from the effect of mass wasting or mass movement?

A. mesa
B. talus
C. alluvial fan
D. delta

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

21. Which of the following landforms are found in the floodplains of humid areas?

A. natural levees, washes
B. natural levees, oxbow-shaped lakes
C. mesas, buttes
D. dunes, arroyos

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

22. Theories of the evolution of glaciers include, as possible causes, all of the following EXCEPT

A. periods of excessive dust in the atmosphere.
B. changes in the shape, the tilt, and the seasonal positions of the earth's orbit around the sun.
C. the drifting of continental plates over tropical regions.
D. the periodic changes in the amount of solar energy received on the earth's surface.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

23. Longshore currents are responsible for the creation of

A. moraines.
B. lagoons or inlets.
C. salt marshes.
D. spits.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

24. Karst topography is created by chemical weathering of ___________ rocks.

A. basalt
B. limestone
C. granitic
D. gneiss

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering
Topic: Water Erosion

25. Which of the following is a wind-deposited material?

A. karst
B. loess
C. Richter
D. barchan

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

26. Earthquakes are most often caused by

A. mass movement.
B. gradational processes.
C. pressure at lithospheric plate boundaries.
D. hot spots.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

27. For millions of years the Atlantic Ocean has been widening at the rate of about

A. 1 mile (1.6 km) per year.
B. 1 yard (.9 m) per year.
C. 1 foot (.3 m) per year.
D. 1 inch (2.5 cm) per year.

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Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

28. Glaciers move because

A. the weight of snow causes compaction at the base and the formation of ice, which becomes plastic-like.
B. the gravitational pull on steep slopes causes avalanches that dislodge the snow accumulations.
C. the rotation of the earth holds the snowfields back, thereby forcing them to move.
D. tectonic forces from within the earth dislodge loose materials, such as great slabs of snow and ice.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

29. Continental glaciers exist today in

A. the Northern Hemisphere only.
B. the Southern Hemisphere only.
C. the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres.
D. no part of the world.

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30. The sand grains that make up beaches originated mainly from

A. windblown materials from desert environments.
B. the great rivers of the world.
C. melting icebergs.
D. coastal erosion and streams.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

31. Which of the following is NOT one of the steps in the rock cycle?

A. cementation and compaction of sediment into sedimentary rocks
B. weathering, transport, and deposition of igneous rocks into sediment
C. cooling and solidification of magma into metamorphic rocks
D. pressure and heat converting igneous rocks into metamorphic rocks

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

32. A zone of subduction is associated with the occurrence of

A. deep-sea trenches and mountain ranges.
B. mid-ocean ridges and volcanoes.
C. transform faults and earthquakes.
D. relatively flat terrain on the ocean floor.

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Section: 03.02 Geologic Time
Topic: Continental Drift

33. The major volcanic belt is located near the major earthquake and fault zones because

A. volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults tend to be concentrated at or near plate boundaries.
B. volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all interrelated forms of volcanism.
C. volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all coastal processes.
D. volcanoes, earthquakes, and faults are all gradational processes.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

34. Coal and petroleum occur in the group of rocks classified as

A. igneous.
B. metamorphic.
C. plutonic.
D. sedimentary.

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

35. What are the three processes in which diastrophism is involved?

A. weathering, mass wasting, erosion
B. oxidation, hydrolysis, carbonation
C. broad warping, folding, faulting
D. subduction, seafloor spreading, transform movement

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

36. The Richter scale

A. measures the wind speed and central pressure of a hurricane or typhoon.
B. measures the damage potential of a tornado.
C. measures the volume of material released by a volcanic eruption.
D. measures the energy released by an earthquake.

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

37. The breakup of rock into smaller fragments of the same material is called

A. decomposition.
B. carbonation.
C. chemical weathering.
D. physical weathering.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

38. Great fractures in the earth's crust caused an extensive rift valley system in
A. the Mediterranean Basin.
B. Pennsylvania.
C. California.
D. East Africa.

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

39. Terrain created by an underground solution of limestone creating sinkholes and caverns is known as

A. karst topography.
B. knob and kettle topography.
C. belted topography.
D. gradational topography.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

40. Sharp ridges and U-shaped valleys are characteristic features of mountains that have undergone

A. stream erosion.
B. wind erosion.
C. glaciation.
D. diastrophism.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

41. Fine-grained, windblown silt deposits are known as

A. till.
B. loess.
C. drift.
D. talus.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

42. The largest areas of continental-size glaciers in the world today are in

A. the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayan Mountains.
B. the Himalayan Mountains and the Andes Mountains.
C. Siberia, Canada, and Alaska.
D. Antarctica and Greenland.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

43. A hilly depositional feature formed when a glacier melts is a

A. cirque.
B. tarn.
C. col.
D. moraine.

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

44. Which group of coastal features exists as the result of erosion by sea waves?

A. sea cliffs, headlands, embayments
B. sandbars, talus slopes, sandpits
C. fringing reefs, barrier reefs, atolls
D. deltas, cuspate bars, capes

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

45. A tsunami can occur due to all of the following EXCEPT

A. an earthquake.
B. an underwater landslide.
C. a volcanic eruption.
D. a hydrolysis.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

46. An accumulation of rock fragments at the base of hills and mountains is called _____.

A. talus
B. mass wastes
C. mass debris
D. rock fall

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

47. Which one of the following is NOT a landform created by glaciers?

A. Outwash plain
B. Kame
C. Oxbow lake
D. Cirque

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

48. _____________ is the great pressure acting on the plates that deforms them by folding, twisting, warping, breaking, or compressing rock.

A. Volcanism
B. Subduction
C. Diastrophism
D. Mass movement

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

49. Oxidation, hydrolysis, and carbonation are forms of _______.

A. mechanical weathering
B. diastrophism
C. chemical weathering
D. volcanism

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

50. Granite, basalt, pumice, and obsidian are all ______ rocks.

A. igneous
B. metamorphic
C. sedimentary
D. diastrophic

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

51. Hurricane Sandy is a good example of a storm causing

A. A tsunami
B. Coastal erosion
C. An earthquake induced cold front
D. Tides

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

52. Great fractures in the earth's crust resulted in the creation, through subsidence, of an extensive rift valley system in East Africa.

TRUE

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

53. The Ridge and Valley region of Pennsylvania is a remnant of extensive folding.

FALSE

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

54. The sudden decompression of gases contained within lava results in explosions of rock material to form ashes and cinders.

FALSE

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

55. Cirques are associated with coastal processes.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

56. The buildup of sediment at the intersection of streams is an example of chemical weathering.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

57. Oxbow lakes form when rivers flow onto the more level land at the base of mountain slopes.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

58. Mesas are characterized by their resistant caprock.

TRUE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

59. Stalactites and stalagmites are characteristic of arêtes and cirques.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

60. The farthest extent of glaciations in North America is approximated by the boundary between Canada and the United States.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

61. In the United States, the greatest loess deposits are found mainly in the Mississippi River basin.

TRUE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

62. The world's greatest loess deposits are found mainly in the Sahara Desert.

FALSE

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Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

63. Volcanism is a gradational process.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

64. The present continents were joined in a single landmass as recently as 20 million years ago.

FALSE

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Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

65. Over geologic time, both igneous and metamorphic rocks can be converted to sedimentary rocks.

TRUE

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

66. Permafrost results from the development of fiords by glaciers.

FALSE

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

67. Less chemical weathering occurs in humid and warmer areas than in dryer and colder regions.

FALSE

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

68. Over geologic time, sedimentary rocks can be transformed into metamorphic rocks and vice versa.

TRUE

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Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

69. Groundwater moves more quickly than surface running water.

FALSE

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Water Erosion

70. What is the name of the ancient landmass that comprised all existing continents connected together before it broke apart about 200 million years ago?

Pangaea

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
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Section: 03.02 Geologic Time
Topic: Continental Drift

71. What is the name of the broad, flat area near a stream in which the stream channel meanders?

Floodplain

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

72. What are the two principal categories of tectonic processes that shape the earth's surface?

Volcanism and diastrophism

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

73. Describe the processes that create coastal landforms and explain why building hotels and condominiums on the beachfront create problems?

It is a dynamic system subject to erosion and deposition by waves, high water, and storms. Sediment is transported by longshore currents. Removal of vegetation can make beach dunes more vulnerable to erosion. Construction of breakwater designed to reduce beach erosion in one location typically accelerates beach erosion nearby. Human development of beaches creates vulnerability because of the dynamic nature of the beach system. Barrier islands are particularly vulnerable because they are low-lying and unstable.

Bloom's Level: 4. Analyze
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Section: 03.06 Landform Regions
Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features

74. What general term refers to the alteration of the earth's crust due to plate movement?

Tectonic forces

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

75. Explain the theory of plate tectonics.

Above the core and the lower mantle is the asthenosphere, supporting a shell of dense (oceanic) and light (continental) rocks called the lithosphere. It is broken into about twelve plates that slide over the asthenosphere. At plate intersections, dense material is forced down, forming sea trenches; light material is forced upward, forming mountain chains.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.02 Geologic Time
Topic: Continental Drift

76. Explain why the zones of active volcanism and earthquakes are often located in close proximity.

The great force of a moving continent creates faults at the intersections of plates. Each movement at a fault creates earthquakes. At deep faults, particularly, molten material from within the earth can move to the surface, as volcanic explosion or as oozing lava.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

77. How does a karst-type region develop?

Groundwater has a particularly important effect on limestone. In limestone regions where water is plentiful, the groundwater decomposes the rock, forming sinkholes, caverns, and underground streams.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

78. What landforms occur when the land surface dips below the water table?

Lakes, streams, ponds, and marshes.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

79. Explain how gradation and tectonic forces interact to create new landforms.

Tectonic forces tend to create uplifted landforms while gradational processes tend to wear them down. Volcanism is responsible for lava spewing onto the earth's surface, creating, for example, various types of volcanoes, plateaus, and new islands. Diastrophism creates uplifted land surfaces through broad warping, folding, and faulting. With regard to gradation, new landforms are created when materials at or below the earth's surface are affected by weathering or erosion. Weathering prepares material for transport; erosion transports material by running water, groundwater, glaciers, waves, and currents and wind. Each of the processes is associated with its own particular types of landforms.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces
Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

80. Identify the three main groups of rocks and indicate with arrows and labels the processes by which each one is formed and transformed in the rock cycle.

Answer should resemble Figure 3.3 in text

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

81. Explain and draw a cross section of a convergent and divergent boundary.

Answers will vary.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

82. What sort of landscape evidence would suggest that in the past a place was covered by continental glaciers?

Landscape evidence might include glacial till, outwash plains, moraines, kettle lakes, drumlins, eskers, and kames.

Bloom's Level: 3. Apply
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

83. How are earthquakes scaled?

Answers will vary.

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Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces

84. Using examples, discuss the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering.

Answers will vary.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

85. What are the major landforms associated with continental and alpine glaciation?

Answers will vary.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Gradable: manual
Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

86. Compare and contrast the stream landscapes in humid areas with those in arid areas.

In arid regions, the relative lack of vegetation leads to greater erosion. Many streams are dry except during rainy periods and leave behind alluvial fans when they exit the mountains. In humid regions, streams may flow all year round. When gradients are moderate in humid regions, streams will create broad, flat valleys called floodplains in which they continuously create new stream channels and leave behind old ones in the form or oxbow lakes.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Water Erosion

87. Karst topography is found mainly in regions characterized by

A. alluvial fans.
B. glacial outwash plains.
C. limestone bedrock.
D. loess.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

88. Use Fig. 3.6 to identify which plate is the principal cause of the Andes Mountains.

A. The Nazca Plate
B. The Arabian Plate
C. The North American Plate
D. The Caribbean Plate

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

89. Today, continental-size glaciers exist only

A. in North America.
B. on Antarctica, Greenland, and Baffin Island.
C. in Siberia and Nepal.
D. on Canada's west coast.

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

90. Which plate boundary is characterized by plates sliding past each other horizontally?

A. Divergent plate boundary
B. Emergent plate boundary
C. Convergent plate boundary
D. Transform plate boundary

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91. Permafrost refers to areas
A. of permanently frozen ground.
B. where glaciers are present.
C. where the nighttime temperatures dip below 0°C thus creating frost every morning.
D. withsnowcapped mountains.

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

92. As glaciers retreat, they leave behind large hills of debris known as

A. moraines.
B. outwash plains.
C. aretes.
D. troughs.

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93. The water table is

A. a raised lake.
B. the top of the saturated zone.
C. the entire saturated zone.
D. an aquifer.

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94. Which area is not a subduction zone where two plates collide?

A. Southeast Asia
B. The Andes Mountains
C. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
D. Caribbean Plate

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95. Which of the following is not an erosional form caused by mountain glaciers?

A. Cirque
B. Glacial trough
C. Outwash plain
D. Tarn

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

96. Silty in texture, and associated with productive agricultural lands, loess is deposited by

A. glaciers.
B. water.
C. waves.
D. wind.

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97. Petroleum deposits are found in areas of which rock type?

A. Igneous
B. Metamorphic
C. Sedimentary
D. Volcanic

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Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

98. In humid areas, stream erosion may be accelerated by

A. vegetation.
B. steep downhill gradients.
C. relatively flat floodplains.
D. natural levees.

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Topic: Water Erosion

99. Which of the following is not one of the principal agents of mechanical weathering?

A. Frost
B. Salt crystals
C. Roots
D. Chemical reaction

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100. Igneous rocks are classified on the basis of

A. how fast they cooled.
B. the temperature of the earth material.
C. their texture and composition.
D. whether they cooled above or below the earth's surface.

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Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

101. A tsunami is caused by

A. an underwater earthquake.
B. a rockslide into the sea.
C. the gravitational pull of the moon.
D. an underwater lava flow.

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

102. The effect of wind erosion is most prevalent in areas with

A. dense vegetation.
B. dry climates.
C. exposed bedrock.
D. humid climates.

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103. Longshore currents modify the landscape by

A. creating cliff-like structures.
B. creating reefs and atolls.
C. moving parallel to the shoreline and forming beaches and sand spits.
D. removing sand from beaches and washing it out to sea.

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Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features

104. Which of the following is a result of mass movement?

A. Alluvial fans
B. Arroyos
C. Loess
D. Talus slopes

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105. What is the relationship between moving water and its load?

A. Rapidly moving water has a greater stream load
B. Rapidly moving water has no stream load
C. Slow moving water has a greater stream load
D. Slow moving water has no stream load

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106. The earth's crust is the outer, lighter portion of the

A. asthenosphere.
B. lower mantle.
C. lithosphere.
D. outer core.

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Topic: Continental Drift

107. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the entire continental crust was connected in one supercontinent, from which the present day continents began to separate about

A. 50 million years ago.
B. 160 million years ago.
C. 225 million years ago.
D. 4.7 billion years ago.

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108. All of the following are associated with stream landscapes in arid areas except

A. oxbow lakes.
B. arroyos.
C. alluvial fans.
D. washes.

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109. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed below ground level by the hardening of

A. lava.
B. magma.
C. feldspar.
D. pumice.

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Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

110. The most common rock on the earth's surface is the Igneous rock

A. granite.
B. basalt.
C. coal.
D. limestone.

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111. Limestone under certain conditions may undergo a metamorphosis to become

A. marble.
B. gneiss.
C. slate.
D. granite.

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112. Which of the following is not caused by diastrophism?

A. Folding
B. Broad warping
C. Faulting
D. Volcanism

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

113. Which of the following is not a depositional landform?

A. Delta
B. Mesa
C. Sandbar
D. Alluvial fan

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114. Karst topography is associated with

A. glacial erosion.
B. stream erosion.
C. groundwater erosion.
D. waves and current erosion.

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115. The Sierra Nevadas were formed as a result of

A. volcanism.
B. warping.
C. folding.
D. faulting.

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116. Which erosional agent forms sand dunes?

A. Waves
B. Streams
C. Wind
D. Melting glaciers

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Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features

117. The downslope movement of material due to gravity is called

A. erosion.
B. deposition.
C. mass movement.
D. weathering.

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118. The "ring of fire" refers to the location of earthquakes and volcanoes

A. along the rim of the Pacific Ocean.
B. on the Hawaiian Islands.
C. along the mid-North Atlantic seafloor.
D. surrounding the Indian Ocean.

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Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces

119. A particular chemical combination that has a hardness, density, and definite crystal structure of its own is called a(n)

A. compound.
B. element.
C. mineral.
D. isotope.

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

120. The layer of the earth that is broken up into 12 large and many small, rigid plates is the

A. lithosphere.
B. mantle.
C. asthenosphere.
D. outer core.

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Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents
Topic: Continental Drift

121. The name of the supercontinent that broke apart as the seafloor began to spread hundreds of millions of years ago is

A. Eurasia.
B. Thalassa.
C. Pangaea.
D. gaia.

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Topic: Continental Drift

122. The scientist who first proposed the idea of the existence of one supercontinent prior to its breakup millions of years ago is

A. Alfred Wegener.
B. Charles Darwin.
C. Alexander von Humboldt.
D. William Morris Davis.

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Topic: Continental Drift

123. When a continental plate collides with an oceanic plate, the oceanic plate is forced down towards the asthenosphere in a process known as

A. subsistence.
B. coring.
C. subduction.
D. folding.

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124. The Ridge and Valley region of the eastern United States is the result of what force of diastrophism?

A. Volcanism
B. Warping
C. Faulting
D. Folding

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125. Which of the following is not one of the three kinds of gradational processes?

A. Weathering
B. Volcanism
C. Mass movement
D. Erosion

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Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering

126. Which of the following is not one of the three principal causes of chemical weathering?

A. Oxidation
B. Hydrolysis
C. Carbonation
D. Capillary action

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127. The ability of running water to erode a surface does not depend on the

A. steepness of the slope.
B. underlying bedrock.
C. strength of the wind.
D. amount of precipitation.

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Topic: Water Erosion

128. Deep, U-shaped valleys that were carved out by glaciers and are below sea level today are known as

A. fiords.
B. cavities.
C. trenches.
D. fissures.

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Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion

129. Found in the South Pacific, reefs that are formed in shallow water around a volcano that has since been covered or nearly covered by water are known as

A. spits.
B. sandbars.
C. lagoons.
D. atolls.

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Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes
Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features

130. The study of the origin, characteristics, and development of landforms is known as

A. cartography.
B. limnology.
C. geomorphology.
D. demography.

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Section: 03.06 Landform Regions
Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features

131. The type of rock that evolves under water in horizontal beds of strata are known as

A. metamorphic.
B. sedimentary.
C. igneous.
D. basaltic.

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

132. The earth is thought to have formed about how many years ago?

A. 450 million
B. 4.5 billion
C. 45 billion
D. 450 billion

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Section: 03.02 Geologic Time
Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks

133. Narrow columns of hot mantle rock that can form ‘hot spots’ of volcanism beneath the centers of oceanic plates are known as

A. cutaways.
B. pillars.
C. coils.
D. plumes.

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134. Although they are much less extensive today, glaciers covered a large part of the earth’s land area during the last ice age which ended about

A. 100,000 years ago.
B. 10,000 years ago.
C. 1,000 years ago.
D. 100 years ago.

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Chapter 03 Test Bank: Physical Geography: Landforms Summary

Category-# of Questions

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Section: 03.01 Earth Materials-17

Section: 03.02 Geologic Time-5

Section: 03.03 Movement of the Continents-15

Section: 03.04 Tectonic Forces-25

Section: 03.05 Gradational Processes-70

Section: 03.06 Landform Regions-2

Topic: Continental Drift-14

Topic: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks-17

Topic: Landforms: Regions and Features-7

Topic: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering-29

Topic: Types of Tectonic Forces-30

Topic: Understanding Glacier Formation and Erosion-19

Topic: Water Erosion-18