Physical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Wind Erosion
Stream Erosion
Mass Wasting
100

This type of physical weathering is caused by particle collisions and results in smoother surfaces. 

Abrasion

100

Which activity demonstrates chemical weathering?

A) freezing of water in the cracks of a sandstone sidewalk

B) abrasion of a streambed by tumbling rocks

C) grinding of talc into a powder

D) dissolving of limestone by acid rain

D

100

Which agent of erosion most likely moves sediments in a sand dune?

A) 

wind

B) 

glaciers

C) 

wave action

D) 

running water

A

100

Which graph best represents the relationship between the discharge of a stream and the velocity of stream flow?

A) 

B) 

C) 

D) 

B

100

The photograph below shows the results of a landslide.


This landslide is an example of

A) 

wind abrasion

B) 

glacial deposition

C) 

wave action

D) 

mass movement

D

200


The diagram below represents the size and shape of a pebble. This pebble and 20 other pebbles having a similar size and shape were placed in a rock tumbler with water and allowed to abrade for five days.


Which diagram best represents the size and shape of this pebble after the five-day period?

A) 

B) 

C) 

D) 

D

200

The two block diagrams below represent the formation of caves.


Which types of weathering and erosion are primarily responsible for the formation of caves?

A) 

chemical weathering and groundwater flow

B) 

chemical weathering and runoff

C) 

physical weathering and groundwater flow

D) 

physical weathering and runoff

A

200


Base your answer on the photograph below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The photograph shows a sandstone erosional feature that formed near the Grand Canyon, in southwestern United States.

Which erosional agent is most likely sandblasting this rock formation?

A) 

wind

B) 

waves

C) 

running water

D) 

moving ice

A

200

7123)

What is the relationship between the water velocity and the rate of erosion?

A) 

If the water velocity decreases, the rate of erosion increases.

B) 

If the water velocity increases, the rate of erosion increases.

C) 

If the water velocity remains constant, the rate of erosion decreases.

D) 

If the water velocity remains constant, the rate of erosion increases.

B

200

The photograph below shows a portion of a roadway in the mountains that was destroyed due to a landslide.

Which two factors most likely caused this landslide?

A) 

wind action and meandering streams

B) 

wind action and movement of glacial ice

C) 

gravity and sand blasting of bedrock

D) 

gravity and saturated soil

D

300


Which characteristic would most likely remain constant when a limestone cobble is subjected to extensive abrasion?

A) 

shape

B) 

mass

C) 

volume

D) 

composition

D

300

Landscapes will undergo the most chemical weathering if the climate is

A) cool and dry B) cool and wet C) warm and dry D) warm and wet

D

300

Which sediment is most easily picked up and transported by the wind?

A) 

cobbles

B) 

pebbles

C) 

sand

D) 

silt

D

300

Which event is the best example of erosion?

A) breaking apart of shale as a result of water freezing in a crack 

B) dissolving of rock particles on a limestone gravestone by acid rain

C) rolling of a pebble along the bottom of a stream

D) crumbling of bedrock in one area to form soil

C

300


The best evidence that erosion has taken place would be provided by

A) deep residual soil observed on a hillside

B) sediment observed at the bottom of a cliff

C) tilted rock layers observed on a mountain

D) faulted rock layers observed on a plateau

B

400


The diagram below shows granite bedrock with cracks. Water has seeped into the cracks and frozen. The arrows represent the directions in which the cracks have widened due to weathering.


Which statement best describes the physical weathering shown by the diagram?

A) 

Enlargement of the cracks occurs because water expands when it freezes.

B) 

This type of weathering occurs only in bedrock composed of granite.

C) 

The cracks become wider because of chemical reactions between water and the rock.

D) 

This type of weathering is common in regions of primarily warm and humid climates.

A

400

Which geologic feature is caused primarily by chemical weathering?

A) large caves in limestone bedrock 

B) a pattern of parallel cracks in a granite mountain 

C) blocks of basalt at the base of a steep slope 

D) the smooth, polished surface of a rock in a dry, sandy area

A

400

The photograph below shows a sand dune that formed in a coastal area.


This sand dune was most likely formed by

A) 

water flowing from the left

B) 

water flowing from the right

C) 

wind blowing from the left

D) 

wind blowing from the right

D

400

The map below shows the path of a river. The arrow shows the direction the river is flowing. Letters

A and B identify the banks of the river.



The water depth is greater near bank A than bank B because the water velocity near bank A is

A) 

faster, causing deposition to occur

B) 

faster, causing erosion to occur

C) 

slower, causing deposition to occur

D) 

slower, causing erosion to occur

B

400

Which erosional force acts alone to produce avalanches and landslides?

A) gravity

B) winds

C) running water

D) sea waves

A

500

The cross section below shows the movement of wind-driven sand particles that strike a partly exposed basalt cobble located at the surface of a windy desert.


Which cross section best represents the appearance of this cobble after many years of exposure to the wind-driven sand?

A) 

B) 

C) 

D) 

500

Base your answer on the diagram below, which represents samples of soil and bedrock at Earth's surface. The arrows represent possible infiltration of rainwater.

Which sample probably has the greatest porosity?

A) pebble soil

B) pebble-and-sand soil

C) conglomerate bedrock

D) granite bedrock

A

500

Which diagram represents a side view of a sand dune most commonly formed as a result of the prevailing wind direction shown?

A) 

B) 

C) 

D) 

C

500


A cross section of Niagara Falls is shown below.



Which two rock units appear to be most resistant to weathering and erosion?

A) 

Lockport dolostone and Whirlpool sandstone

B) 

Rochester shale and Albion sandstone and shale

C) 

Clinton limestone and shale and Queenston shale

D) 

Thorold sandstone and Queenston shale

A

500


Several tons of rock move from a mountaintop to a valley floor during a landslide. During the landslide, the potential energy of the rock

A) 

decreases

B) 

increases

C) 

remains the same

A

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