Geology: Glaciers and Rivers Quiz

What process describes the way glaciers grind and carve away the land beneath them?

• Abrasion

• Plucking

• Erosion

• Deposition

Which type of moraine is formed at the sides of a glacier?

• Terminal moraine

• Lateral moraine

• Medial moraine

• Ground moraine

What is the term for a glacier that forms in mountainous areas?

• Continental glacier

• Ice cap

• Alpine glacier

• Ice sheet

During river deposition, what size particles are deposited first?

• Clay

• Silt

• Sand

• Gravel

What causes river meandering?

• The river flowing over a flat, uniform substrate

• The river flowing rapidly over steep terrain

• Erosion on the outer banks and deposition on the inner banks of bends

• The presence of large boulders in the riverbed

What is a terminal moraine?

• A ridge of debris deposited at the end of a glacier

• A layer of till deposited underneath a glacier

• A ridge of debris deposited along the sides of a glacier

• A ridge of debris found in the center of a glacier

Which of the following is NOT a type of glacier?

• Valley glacier

• Piedmont glacier

• Tundra glacier

• Ice sheet

What feature is commonly formed by river deposition at the mouth of a river?

• Canyon

• Delta

• Waterfall

• Gorge

Glacial erosion can lead to the formation of which of the following landscapes?

• River deltas

• Sand dunes

• U-shaped valleys

• Oxbow lakes

What is the primary mechanism of glacial plucking?

• The glacier melts and refreezes, attaching to rocks and pulling them away as it moves

• The glacier deposits large boulders from its base onto the surrounding land

• The glacier pushes rocks and sediment ahead of it, smoothing the landscape

• The glacier causes chemical reactions that break down the bedrock