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Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

Total questions: 16

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

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

a)

Seeds from plants fall onto rocks and release acidic compounds.

b)

Plant roots grow into cracks in rocks.

c)

Stems of plants surround and squeeze rocks.

d)

Plant protects surrounding rocks from extreme temperatures.

2.

Hillsides are sometimes terraced to grow plants. What is the purpose of using terraces?

a)

to keep roots from spreading

b)

to increase wind erosion

c)

to retain soil and water

d)

to provide protection from animals

3.

Which of the following statements does NOT illustrate the effects of human activity in creating erosion problems?

a)

Building roads can increase erosion due to the change in drainage patterns.

b)

Terracing along a mountainside can lead to erosion

c)

Building on steep slopes can lead to landslides.

d)

soil can be washed away from new construction sites due to clearing trees and brush

4.

Which of the following causes of the Dust Bowl were due to HUMAN IMPACT?

  1. Over-tilling the land
  2. Severe heat and drought for almost a decade
  3. Overgrazing of farm animals
  4. High winds in the area
a)

All answer options

b)

1 and 3

c)

1, 2, and 3

d)

1 and 2

5.

Which soil conservation practice aims to keep nutrients in the soil?

a)

no-tilling farming

b)

crop rotation

c)

contour plowing on hillsides

d)

terracing hillside farms

6.

The rate of soil erosion will be higher in a field of crops planted in rows than in a field covered with grass because

a)

grass grows lower to the ground than most crops

b)

more soil is exposed to wind and water

c)

most crops grow lower to the ground than grass

d)

less soil is exposed to wind and water

7.

Which of the following soil types would contain the most nutrients?

a)

soil that has many large rock particles

b)

soil that allows water to drain very quickly through it

c)

soil with a lot of decomposed organic material

d)

soil with a bedrock that is very close to the surface

8.

The layer in the soil profile that has the most humus is

a)

2

b)

4

c)

1

d)

3

9.

Which statement best describes soil formation?

a)

it occurs primarily through leaching

b)

the "parent rock" helps determine what type of soil forms

c)

It is a completely inorganic process (not from living matter)

d)

it occurs more quickly in dry climates

10.

A scientist is studying geologic formations in deserts. During the study, the scientist draws a diagram of a canyon that has a unique shape.

Which of these BEST explains why the canyon has a unique shape?

a)

The layers of the canyon are composed of different rocks and erode at different rates

b)

The canyon is located in an area next to a river; the bottom layers experience more erosion than the upper layers

c)

All layers of the canyon erode at the same time

d)

The canyon is located in an area that receives heavy rainfall; erosion occurs more quickly due to the constant exposure of water

11.

Which geologic processes have changed the landscape of Georgia the most during the last 10,000 years?

a)

continental drift and plate movement

b)

glacial erosion and deposition

c)

water erosion and deposition

d)

volcanoes and faulting

12.

Which best describes the surface of the earth over billions of years?

a)

High mountains gradually wear down until most of the earth is at sea level

b)

High mountains stay side by side for billions of years with little change

c)

Flat surface is gradually pushed up into higher and higher mountains until the earth is covered with mountains

d)

High mountains gradually wear down as new mountains are continuously being formed, over and over again

13.

The picture shows a kind of glacier that can be many meters thick. In this landscape, which of the following is most likely directly affected by this kind of glacier?

a)

The average height of plants on the mountainside

b)

the average mass of trees near the lake

c)

the shape of clouds that form above the glacier

d)

the shape of the valley between the mountains

14.

Which of the following is the most important factor in erosion (transportation) of soil?

a)

none of the choices

b)

wind

c)

glaciers

d)

water

15.

Which of these processes describes how sand is deposited on beaches?

a)

waves carry sand to the beach and the sun dries the water, leaving sand behind.

b)

Wind and waves grind up rocks under the beach into grains of sand.

c)

Wind carries sand onto beaches from the land and then levels it out.

d)

waves carry sand up the sloping beach, depositing sand as the waves lose speed.

16.

In Spring 2003, a natural rock outcropping in New Hampshire called the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. Which of the following most likely loosed the rock and caused it to fall?

a)

oxygen reacting with iron on the surface of the rock

b)

heat turning sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock

c)

volcanic activity producing pressure at the rock's base

d)

water freezing and thawing inside cracks in the rock