Weathering, Deposition, and Erosion Practice 2025

After a rainstorm, a big pile of rocks blocks part of a mountain road. Which event most likely caused the rocks to move onto the road?

• a tsunami

• a blizzard

• a landslide

• a hurricane

As stream velocity decreases, which factor will likely increase?

• erosion of the stream bank

• deposition of material in the stream

• amount of material carried downstream

• size of the particles carried downstream

Which of the following can cause erosion?

• falling leaves

• flowing water

• growing grass

• rising temperatures

A glacier is a slow moving river of ice. How does a glacier help create soil?

• It scrapes small particles off large rocks.

• It carries plants down mountains and to oceans.

• It melts and becomes part of streams and rivers.

• It freezes small particles of dirt to form large rocks.

Which process is most responsible for the formation of the Grand Canyon?

• scouring by continental glaciers

• erosion by wind and water

• eruptions by explosive volcanoes

• cracking of Earth's crust by earthquakes

How do plants most commonly break large rocks into smaller pieces?

• Plant leaves insulate surrounding rocks from extreme temperatures.

• Plant roots grow into cracks in rocks.

• Seeds from plants fall onto rocks and release acidic compounds.

• Stems of plants surround and squeeze rocks.

The freezing and thawing action of water affects a rock by

• transforming the rock into igneous rock.

• chemically changing the rock.

• gradually breaking down the rock into smaller pieces.

• leaving behind sedimentary particles from evaporated solutions.

The topsoil covering an area of land was washed away by rain. The land was most likely—

• steep, without vegetation

• steep, with vegetation

• flat, without vegetation

• flat, with vegetation

The rocks in the picture below are as large as a house and were under Earth’s surface for many thousands of years. Which of the following is most responsible for revealing these rocks on Earth’s surface today?

• Falling volcanic ash

• Moving wind and water

• Varying cloud conditions

• Growing plants and animals

Use the diagram below to answer the following question. The diagram above illustrates the Green River flowing through the center of Green Mountain. Which of the following processes most likely caused this phenomena?

• A. The river maintained its course and eroded the mountain.

• B. The mountain was cracked in half by a glacier, and then the river began flowing through it.

• C. The river began and cut the mountain in half.

• D. A half-mountain formed on either side of the river.