Test Bank Mass Wasting And Related | Complete Test Bank Ch.7

Chapter 07 Test Bank: Mass Wasting and Related Hazards

Multiple Choice Questions

1. 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?

A. steepness of a slope

B. presence of water

C. types of vegetation on the slope

D. atmospheric air pressure

E. type of rock or sediment that is making up the slope

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

A. over-steepening a slope

B. all of the answers listed here

C. earthquakes

D. wildfires

E. heavy rainfall events

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

A. alternating layers of sedimentary sandstone and shale

B. loose sedimentary material such as sand and clay

C. crystalline igneous rock such as granite

D. foliated metamorphic rock such as slate

E. layers of basaltic (igneous) lava flows

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

A. all of the answers listed here

B. drilling of water wells

C. construction of roads

D. logging of trees

E. constructing high-rise buildings

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

A. increases chemical weathering of earth materials

B. increases erosion of surface materials

C. increases internal pore pressure

D. attracts large, heavy animals

E. causes too much vegetation growth

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

A. tectonic setting and amount of damage

B. type of material and type of motion

C. volume of material and amount of damage

D. type of material and amount of damage

E. volume of material and type of motion

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

A. material moving as a viscous fluid

B. material tumbling through air or down a steep slope

C. material moving down-slope along a surface

D. mixture of rock and snow

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

A. material moving as a viscous fluid

B. mixture of rock and snow

C. material moving down-slope along a surface

D. material tumbling through air or down a steep slope

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

A. material moving as a viscous fluid

B. mixture of rock and snow

C. material moving down-slope along a surface

D. material tumbling through air or down a steep slope

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

A. slump

B. creep

C. slide

D. flow

E. fall

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

A. slump

B. flow

C. slide

D. fall

E. creep

12. Which of the following best describes why snow avalanches occur?

A. high winds and drifting snow

B. low temperatures followed by warmer weather

C. loss of friction along weak layers within a snowpack

D. loose, non-cohesive snowpack

E. melting at the contact between the snow and underlying earth material

13. 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?

A. repeated eruption of steam geysers

B. all of the answers listed here

C. collapse of caves in limestone rock

D. collapse of underground aquifers

E. repeated eruptions of volcanic ash

14. 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?

A. avoid building in hazard zones

B. hydrologic controls

C. government regulations

D. geologic controls

E. slope control

15. 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?

A. install rock bolts

B. control the flow of water

C. build a retaining wall

D. cover the slope with vegetation

E. build a tunnel

16. 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?

A. control the flow of water

B. install rock bolts

C. cover the slope with vegetation

D. install a mesh fence

E. build a retaining wall

17. 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?

A. remove the mountain

B. reroute the highway

C. install a rain sensor

D. build a protective structure

E. close the highway during heavy rains

True / False Questions

18. 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.

True False

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

True False

20. Pumping oil from the subsurface can result in subsidence.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

21. What is the driving force behind mass wasting?

A. Heat

B. Pressure

C. Silica content

D. Gravity

22. Which of the following is a triggering mechanism for mass wasting?

A. Drought

B. Excessive vegetation

C. Heavy rain

D. Slope reduction

23. What is the angle of repose for loose materials?

A. 5 degrees

B. 20 degrees

C. 35 degrees

D. 45 degrees

24. Which common feature can weaken sedimentary rocks?

A. Bedding

B. Fossils

C. Foliation

D. Coarse interlocking crystals

25. What common material found in the environment can add weight and reduce friction, thereby triggering mass wasting?

A. Lava

B. Soil

C. Silica

D. Water

26. What feature associated with volcanoes can trigger a mass wasting event?

A. Volcanic steam

B. Seismic waves

C. Highly viscous magma

D. Caldera collapse

27. Which geologic process contributes to the occurrence of rockfalls?

A. Wetting-drying cycles

B. Freeze-thaw cycles

C. Development of a talus pile

D. Sliding along bedding planes

28. Which common feature often contributes to the occurrence of rockslides in sedimentary rocks?

A. Foliation planes

B. Columnar jointing

C. Bedding

D. The stickiness of mud

29. Where does solifluction occur?

A. In areas of permafrost

B. In extremely arid areas

C. Anywhere there is abundant mud

D. In a tropical rainforest

30. Which process contributes to the development of soil creep?

A. Planar surfaces in rock

B. Volcanic tremors

C. Wetting-drying cycles

D. Freeze-thaw cycles

31. Which type of geologic hazard can be triggered by submarine mass-wasting?

A. Global sea level rise

B. A hurricane

C. A tsunami

D. A volcanic eruption

32. Land subsidence can be associated with which type of geological feature?

A. A volcanic lake

B. A cave

C. A lava dome

D. A glacial valley

33. How does removal of water help to stabilize a slope?

A. Helps to remove excessive vegetation

B. Aids in slope reduction

C. Increases friction

D. Decreases friction

34. What has caused land subsidence in the Houston, Texas area?

A. Withdrawal of subsurface oil and water

B. Collapse of an extensive cave system

C. Man-made earthquakes

D. Collapse of an extinct caldera

35. What are retaining walls used for?

A. Removal of excess subsurface water

B. To strengthen over steepened slopes

C. To protect vegetation

D. To construct terraces

36. Rock bolts are used to prevent mass-wasting in what type of material?

A. Loose sand

B. Sticky mud

C. Loose rock

D. Loose soil

37. Which of the following is a strategy for controlling excess water in an unstable slope?

A. Install subsurface drains

B. Divert surface water with berms

C. Cover slope with impervious plastic sheeting

D. All of these choices are correct

38. Which is a common technique used to control mass-wasting where slopes are over-steepened?

A. Retaining walls

B. Rock bolts

C. Dewatering

D. Terracing

39. How does vegetation help to stabilize slopes?

A. It increases infiltration.

B. It decreases infiltration.

C. It takes up water.

D. It decreases friction.

40. Protective structures used to control mass-wasting include all of the following except

A. retaining walls.

B. tunnels.

C. terraces.

D. a covering comprised of a heavy chain mesh.