Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

The breaking down and changing of rocks at or near Earth's surface is called

• mass movement

• weathering

• sheet erosion

• uplift

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following is NOT a cause of mechanical weathering?

• dissolving

• frost wedging

• unloading

• burrowing

Organic matter in soil is also called

• regolith

• humus

• talus

• loam

A soil's texture is determined by its

• water content

• mineral composition

• thickness

• particle sizes

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

In soils with distinct soil horizons, the topmost zone (when not under a forest canopy), is the

• parent material

• A horizon

• B horizon

• C horizon

Human activities that remove plants covering the soil cause soil erosion to

• decrease

• stay the same

• increase

• increase briefly, then stop

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Which of the following does NOT usually trigger mass movements?

• growth of native vegetation on slopes

• formation of oversteepened slopes

• saturation of surface materials with water

• vibration of the ground during an earthquake

When a block of material moves downward along a curved surface, the process is called

• a rockslide

• a rockfall

• a slump

• an earthflow

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following best describes a mudflow?

• movement too slow to be observed directly

• material moving downslope as a thick fluid

• material falling freely through the air

• sudden movement along a flat, inclined surface

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following best describes regolith?

• a soil that contains large amounts of iron oxide and aluminum-rich clays

• a mixture of mineral matter, organic matter, water, and air

• a large pile of rock fragments at the base of a steep cliff

• the layer of rock and mineral fragments that covers nearly all of Earth's land surface