Assessment: What Are Some Clues that Earth’s Surface Changes?

When moving water leaves soil behind, it is called _______.

• erosion.

• weathering.

• corrosion.

• deposition.

Weathering is the natural process of

• breaking down rock.

• loosening bits of rock from the soil.

• moving soil to a different location.

• materials settling out of water.

One example of erosion is when

• A. tree roots split apart a rock.

• B. soil builds up at the mouth of a river.

• C. water carries soil from a garden to a sidewalk.

• D. moving water makes river rocks smooth.

Which of the following is an example of how wind changes Earth’s surface in a desert?

• sand ripples in the desert

• desert plants clustered together

• a pond forming after a storm

• fog forming in the desert

Which of the following is an example of tree roots slowing down weathering, erosion, and deposition?

• A. Tree roots break large rocks near a river.

• B. Tree roots hold soil in place near a river.

• C. Tree roots get worn away by river water.

• D. Tree roots grow very quickly near a river.

Hera is walking along and notices that these rocks are very smooth and polished. What claim can you MOST LIKELY support with evidence about what happened to the rocks?

• They came from a volcano.

• They fell down the side of a mountain.

• They were weathered by living things.

• They were worn down by a flowing river.

Hurricanes are powerful storms that can cause Earth’s surface to change. This tree’s roots pulled up soil when Hurricane Irma struck the Florida coast in 2017. What most likely caused the tree to pull up the soil?

• A. Lack of sunlight caused the tree pull up the soil.

• B. A lightning strike caused the tree to pull up soil.

• C. Strong wind gusts caused the tree to pull up soil.

• D. Rain from the storm caused the tree to pull up the soil.

Salia walks along the beach and sees some rocks offshore. She observes a large rock formation and some smaller rocks offshore. She looks for evidence that the circled rock was weathered from the larger rock formation by wave action. How can she find evidence?

• A. Compare the size of the rocks.

• B. Measure the distance between the rocks.

• C. Compare the material that makes up the rocks.

• D. Drop a rock from on top of the formation and see where it lands.

A scientist is studying a rock that he found about a kilometer away from the beach. He sees there is a seashell caught in the rock. What most likely caused the seashell to become stuck in this rock?

• The seashell was deposited into the rock by a human being.

• The seashell appeared in the rock due to wind weathering.

• The seashell was deposited into the rock by water erosion.

• The seashell appeared in the rock due to water weathering.

How will they likely change the environment as they grow?

• They will cause the soil around them to erode.

• They will provide a place for soil to deposit and build up.

• They will destroy the homes of animals and other organisms.

• They will make it easy for the area around them to become weathered.