PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY - FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE –SPRING 2012
Weathering and erosion
Physical Weathering (Mechanical) – What is physical weathering? Where and how does it take place?
For each of the following weathering processes – can you describe and identify each one? Can you identify the most susceptible rock types and locations for each of these processes?
Frost/Ice Action: Ice Shattering/wedging – Ice Heaving - Stone Rings/polygons - Pingos
Salt Crystal Growth: salt-wedging – cliff development along southwestern USA rivers
Unloading: Exfoliation – “peeling” – susceptible rocks
Bioturbation: Animal burrowing - tree roots
Chemical Weathering – What is chemical weathering? Where and how does it take place?
For each of the following weathering processes – can you describe and identify each one? Can you identify the most susceptible rock types and locations for each of these processes?
Hydrolysis: adding water molecularly
Oxidation: adding oxygen (hydroxyl radical) molecularly
Carbonic Acid dissolution: limestone susceptibility
Sulfuric Acid dissolution: basalt susceptibility
Weathering Factors: Rock type –Slope and aspect - Climate - Organisms in soil - Time - Mineral composition
Mass Wasting - Mass Movement How does each of these Causes/Factors play a role in accelerating or preventing mass wasting? Gravity - friction - angle of slope - slope composition - vegetation - water in/on slope
What are the Triggers: Natural: - rains - earthquakes - volcanoes - gravity
Human: Mismanagement of soil/water - oversteepening/overburdening slopes – mining consequences
Erosion vs Mass Wasting? What are the Slow forms of mass wasting? How does Soil Creep differ from solifluction? Where is solifluction most likely to occur?
What are the Fast forms of mass wasting? What is a Rockfall? What is a landslide? How does earthflow differ from a slump? How do Mudflows. Lahars, and Debris flows differ? What is the typical location for lahars? What is a typical location for debris flows? How do Catchment Basins and Debris basins work to control debris flows?
Groundwater – What is groundwater? where is it found?
Can you describe the various divisions within groundwater? What is the Phreatic Zone (Saturation Zone)? What is the Vadose Zone (Aeration Zone)? In which zone (Phreatic or Vadose) is true groundwater found?
What is the Water Table; where is it located?
What are the physical characteristics of a good Aquifer? What is the difference betweenWhat porosity and permeability?
What is the difference between a confined aquifer and an unconfined aquifer? What’s a perched aquifer?
How are artesian wells formed? What is an aquiclude? How does an aquitard differ from an aquiclude?
What is a good rock material for aquifers? What kind of rock material makes an aquitard or aquiclude?
Can you describe and explain the following Groundwater Management Problems?
Land Subsidence? Sources of Contamination? Salt Water Intrusion? Legal issues?
Water Table lowering? Cone of Depression and Drawdown Effect? Overdrawing/overpumping?
What is Karst Topography? How is karst topography formed? What are the typical bedrock types in a karst topography area? Are there locations in United States? If so, where?
Fluvial processes (rivers and Surface Water)
The following are typical features involved with Slope Erosion: Rills; Gullies; and Arroyos. Can you identify each type?
What is a Stream Channel? How is it formed? What is a meander? How do meanders develop? What is a floodplain?
What is Stream Discharge? How is it measured? What are the factors that affect discharge?
What are the three Stream Transportation mechanisms?
What is Dissolved Load? What is Suspended Load? What is Bed Load? What’s the difference between Saltation and Traction? What is the difference between Stream Capacity and Stream Competence? What is a Graded Stream? What is the Base Level for streams? What are the typical features present during each of the “Ages” of a Stream (Youth - Maturity - Old Age – Rejuvenation)? What is a Drainage Basin? What is a Drainage Divide? What is a Watershed? How and when are Floodplain features developed? What are meanders, oxbow lakes, and natural levees? How are these floodplain features developed (meanders, oxbow lakes, natural levees)? What are Deltas and how are they formed?
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY FINAL EXAM ‘PRACTICE TEST’ 1
1. Weathering occurs when rock and sediment are exposed to:
a) air
b) humidity
c) organic matter
d) all of the above
2. In general, removing vegetation from an area of steep slopes increases the stability of the slope because of the reduction of weight on the slopes.
a) True
b) False
3. Weathering processes include
a) mechanical weathering b) chemical weathering c) mass wasting d) only (a) and (b) are correct
4. When water freezes and expands in joints and cavities of rock, a form of physical weathering known as ______occurs.
a) sheeting
b) thermal expansion
c) frost or ice wedging
d) unloading
5. Which of the following is a measure of a rock material’s ability to transmit water through interconnected pore spaces?
a) competence b) capacity c) gradient d) permeability
6. Exfoliation refers to the breaking off or ‘peeling’ of large rock ‘shells’ due to weathering and exposure at the surface in which of the following rock types?
a) Gneiss
b) Slate
c) Granites
d) Basalts
7. After gravity, ______is the most important additional factor encouraging mass wasting and slope failure.
a) wind
b) water
c) sunlight
d) animal activity
8. Tilted telephone poles on a surface that is only slightly sloping would most likely result from:
a) soil creep
b) slumps
c) rockfalls
d) mudflows
9. Lahars are
a) bedrock fractures and joints
b) sedimentary structures like ripples
c) ash/mud flows generated by volcanic eruptions
d) metamorphic facies
10. When a rock is subjected to ______weathering, it breaks into smaller pieces having the same physical characteristics as the original rock.
a) physical
b) chemical
c) eluviation
d) none of the above
ANSWERS: 1. d 2. b 3. d 4. c 5. d 6. c 7. b 8. a 9. c 10. a
FINAL EXAM PRACTICE TEST 2
1. The upper groundwater zone above the water table where pore spaces may be filled with air as well as water is termed the zone of:
a) saturation b) aeration c) ablation d) connate water
2. Sediment transported by most rivers tends to become ______as it is carried downstream.
a) coarser (larger materials) b) finer (smaller materials)
c) sorted d) angular
3. Which of the following rocks would be the best aquifer?
a) shale b) clay c) non-fractured basalt d) sandstone
4. In all artesian wells, water must be pumped out by mechanical or electric pumps.
a) True b) False
5. Porosity and permeability refer to how subterranean rocks store and transfer groundwater.
a) True b) False
6. Gravel and pebbles would most likely be transported by a river or stream
a) as bedload b)as discharge c) in suspension d) in solution
7. Base level is the lowest point (“elevation”) to which a river system can erode.
a) True b) False
8. Caverns and caves, as part of an overall Karst topography, would most likely develop in bedrock composed mainly of
a) granite b) limestone c) sandstone d) shale
9. The depositional landform produced when a stream or river flows into an ocean is a(n)P:
a) floodplain b) estuary c) delta d) alluvial fan
10. The water table is
a) at the top of the zone of aeration (“Vadose Zone”)
b) at the top of the zone of saturation (“Phreatic Zone”)
c) found only in humid climates
d) the contact point between an aquifer and an aquiclude
ANSWERS: 1) b 2) b 3) d 4) b 5) a 6) a 7) a 8) b 9) c 10) b
POSSIBLE SHORT-ANSWER ESSAY QUESTIONS
Explain the mechanics of physical weathering. What type of ROCK material IS most susceptible to this type of weathering? Where DOES this type of weathering take place?
describe groundwater management challenges. include in your description the types and sources of contamination, overdrawing and its effect on the water table.
DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MASS MOVEMENT. INCLUDE IN YOUR ESSAY A DISCUSSION REGARDING MATERIALS INVOLVED, SPEED, SLOPE ANGLES, CLIMATIC FACTORS, ROCK STABILITY AND OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DOWNSLOPE MOVEMENT OF ROCK BODIES AND SEDIMENT.
DESCRIBE THE TWO CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE A SUBTERRANEAN ROCK UNIT A GOOD AQUIFER. INCLUDE IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS WHICH ROCK UNITS WOULD BE CONSIDERED AQUIFERS AND WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AQUICLUDES OR AQUITARDS.
Describe the three processes by which water in a stream/river can transport ITS SEDIMENT LOAD.