Weathering and Erosion

Which statement best explains the speed of this type of cave formation?

• The cave forms slowly because water must flow through rock layers many times for the rock to dissolve.

• The cave forms slowly because solid rock layers at the surface prevent water from seeping into the layers underground.

• The cave forms quickly because large amounts of water enter the opening when a sinkhole forms at the surface.

• The cave forms quickly because fast-moving water erodes rock rapidly and causes rock fractures to increase in size.

The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A: A student sets up an investigation to study how weathering occurs during freeze-thaw cycles. Rocks are weathered by water expanding when it freezes in cracks in the surface of a rock, which breaks apart the rock. The student collects rocks of the same size. He places a rock into each of three 16-ounce (oz) containers and adds water, freezes the containers, and then thaws them. He repeats this process twenty times, and then observes the physical changes to the rocks. The materials for his investigation is shown.

A stream from high to lower elevation into a lake. The stream profile is shown. In which location does the greatest amount of deposition occur?

• location 1

• location 2

• location 3

• location 4

Which system contains water that is most likely to form a deep canyon?

• a river

• an ocean

• a wetland

• an estuary

Which two factors are mainly responsible for changing the surface features shown in cross section 1 into the surface features shown in cross section 2?

• tilting and deposition

• melting and evaporation

• freezing and condensation

• weathering and erosion

Which statement describes how rock characteristics affect rates of weathering?

• Rocks with metamorphic rock weather more quickly than sedimentary rocks.

• Rocks with gaps and cracks weather more quickly than rocks with smooth surfaces.

• Rocks without minerals weather more quickly than rocks made up of many minerals.

• Rocks that are buried deep underground weather more quickly than rocks at the surface.

Which geologic process directly forms beaches on the shores of the bay?

• tectonic rifling

• glacial advance

• volcanic activity

• sediment deposition

The photograph below shows a large, deep channel that formed as a result of running water that removed the soil. Which process was responsible for the removal of the soil?

• deposition

• erosion

• faulting

• tilting

Select the two main geological processes that create the hoodoos.

• erosion

• deposition

• weathering

• volcanic activity

• tectonic movement

The plunge pool at the bottom of the waterfall was formed mainly by

• deposition

• evaporation

• precipitation

• erosion