Impact of Erosion
At the beach, John noticed that much of the sand had been eroded by the wind. One way to decrease the amount of erosion on this beach would be to
have more people visit the beach.
plant vegetation on the beach.
remove vegetation from the beach.
have people stop going to the beach.
Plant vegetation on the beach
4
Which weather technology can detect rain in tropical storms and hurricanes that are within about 250 miles, estimate how much rain is falling, and in which direction the storm is moving?
A. Doppler radar
B. satellites
C. rain gauges
D. weather balloons
Doppler Radar
14
Which of these would be best for investigating how moving waves cause changes to land?
building a model of a hill made from dirt and slowly pouring water over it
observing the shape of the land in different places along the ocean shore
modeling the way that waves move in a bathtub or a swimming pool
observing the shape of the banks of a fast moving river
Observing the shape of the land in different places along the ocean shore.
29 destructive
Which statement best describes how these deltas were formed? Photo 13
The deltas were carved out of the shoreline by the destructive force of erosion.
The deltas were built up by the constructive force of sediment deposition.
The deltas were carved out of the shoreline by the destructive force of weathering.
The deltas were built up by the constructive force of lava hardening.
The deltas were built up by the constructive force of sediment deposition
What is the name of the process that makes sand dunes like the one shown? Photo 8
weathering
deposition
landslide
volcanic eruption
Deposition
What can farmers do to prevent erosion between crops each year?
Plant cover crops to keep the soil in place.
Plant trees in the fields when the crops are not growing.
Plow the land often to keep the soil loose.
Leave the fields bare so rain can directly reach the soil.
Plant cover crops to keep the soil in place.
Which technology allows weather forecasters to view the entire Western Hemisphere from above, so that potential hurricanes can be spotted as they form?
satellites
reconnaissance aircraft
sonar
Doppler radar
Satellites
20
Which of the following would show an example of the changes of the Earth's surface?
a drawing of a horse on a cave wall
a comparison of a very old map to a new map of the U.S. coastline
a model of a new house made by an architect
a picture of a car taken last year
a comparison of a very old map to a new map of the U.S coastline
19
how the earth changes
Which statement best describes how these deltas were formed? Photo 12
The deltas were carved out of the shoreline by the destructive force of erosion.
The deltas were built up by the constructive force of sediment deposition.
The deltas were carved out of the shoreline by the destructive force of weathering.
The deltas were built up by the constructive force of lava hardening.
The deltas were carved out of the shoreline by the destructive force of weathering
Many materials, such as rocks, expand (get larger) when they are heated and contract (shrink) when they are cooled. This change in size can cause cracks to form and break large rocks into smaller pieces.
In this example, what is caused by heating and cooling?
A. earthquakes
B. decay
C. weathering
D. erosion
Weathering
Land is cleared for a new building. What can be done to prevent erosion on the building site?
cover the soil at the building site with mulch
plant acorns to grow oak trees on the site
pile all of the dirt in a single, tall mound
put in sprinklers to keep the soil wet
cover the soil at the building site with mulch
17
Levees have been built along much of the Mississippi River. What is the purpose of a levee?
to allow traffic to cross the river
to help control wildlife
to help prevent erosion
to help control flooding
To help control flooding
D
During the day, sunlight heats up rocks on the Earth's surface. After the Sun sets, the rocks cool off. This pattern of heating and cooling causes the rocks to swell and shrink just a little each day.
Over time, how could this swelling and shrinking of rocks change a landform, such as a mountain?
A. It could make the landform look much prettier.
B. It could melt the landform's rocks.
C. It could help break up the rocks on the landform's surface.
D. It could change the color of the landform's rocks.
It could help break up the rocks on the landform's surface
25
weathering/Earth changes
Which statement describes a process that could have created the Rainbow Bridge National Monument? Photo 6
the destructive process of lava hardening
the constructive process of lava hardening
the constructive process of weathering
the destructive process of weathering
The destructive process of weathering
Thousands of years ago, this river flowed across a flat plain. What force caused the deep canyon that the river now flows in? Photo 11
erosion by ocean waves
deposition by moving water
deposition by ocean waves
erosion by moving water
Erosion by moving water
Wetlands are shallow areas covered by water. Wetlands are able to absorb a tremendous amount of water. Wetlands could reduce the effects of which of the following weather hazards?
A. floods
B. earthquakes C. tornadoes D. blizzards
A. Floods
19 destructive
Technological advancements, such as the wind vane, barometer, and thermometer were invented to help people forecast the weather. Many other instruments, such as weather satellites and radar, have also been created to help with weather forecasting.
Advances in weather forecasting techniques contribute many important things such as
the ability to make storms change direction.
the ability to change the weather.
the ability to predict storms.
the ability to prevent storms.
The ability to predict storms
10
While most land areas are slow to change, the shape of beaches changes daily. Which of the following best explains this?
Coastal animals change the shape of the shoreline.
The wave action adds and removes sand daily.
The heating and cooling of beaches changes the shape.
Sea level decreases each day, creating more coastal land.
The wave action adds and removes sand daily
15
What causes a river to meander? Photo 7
Flowing water erodes soil from one river bank and deposits soil onto the other.
Fish carry soil and rock from one side of the river to the other.
When water evaporates from the river, it takes soil from one river bank with it.
One side of the river receives more sunshine than the other.
New landforms are often created or destroyed by geologic processes, such as erosion and volcanoes. However, humans and animals can change landforms as well.
A beaver dam can change a landform by
causing deposition which eventually results in very tall mountains.
causing flooding which may result in the formation of new ponds.
creating strong winds which form arches by weathering and eroding rock.
causing river water to move more swiftly, resulting in deepening of the riverbed.
Causing flooding which may result in the formation of new ponds
A builder wants to develop land in an area that is sloped. Which of the following is true?
Reducing the slope of an area can reduce erosion.
Reducing the slope of an area will not impact erosion.
Increasing the slope of an area can reduce erosion.
Reducing the slope of an area can increase erosion.
Reducing the slope of an area can reduce erosion.
In a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, rapid laser pulses sent from an airplane are used to measure how far the airplane is from the ground. LIDAR can be used to make maps that show the heights of points on the ground.
A geographic information system (GIS) is used to collect, analyze, and store large amounts of useful data. For example, a GIS can store information gathered by LIDAR about the height of points on the ground. Using such data, scientists can create flood forecast maps that predict how likely an area is to flood because of a storm.
Why is it important for scientists to be able to use LIDAR and GIS technology together to create flood forecast maps?
to view a floodplain from the air after a flood
to measure how much rain a storm brings to a region
to decide if a storm is too severe for an airplane to take off
to make better predictions of possible floods
To make better predictions of possible floods
16
New landforms are often created or destroyed by geologic processes, such as erosion and volcanoes. However, humans and animals can change landforms as well.
A beaver dam can change a landform by
causing deposition which eventually results in very tall mountains.
causing flooding which may result in the formation of new ponds.
creating strong winds which form arches by weathering and eroding rock.
causing river water to move more swiftly, resulting in deepening of the riverbed.
Causing flooding which may result in the formation of new ponds.
Causing flooding which may result in the formation of new ponds.
14
Earth changes
Lyle filled a glass bottle completely with water. He put the lid on tightly, then he put the water in the freezer to cool it down quickly. Lyle forgot about his water until the next day.
When Lyle took his bottle out of the freezer, all the water was frozen solid. The bottle had cracked in several places and was broken.
If water in the ground acts like water in the bottle when it freezes, how does water in the ground affect layers of rock and soil?
It breaks them up.
It rearranges them.
It makes them larger.
all of these
The outer parts of the volcano have been broken down and carried away by wind and water over time. What is the most likely reason that the rock in Devil's Tower is still standing? Photo 4
The climate around the tower has become much cooler, causing a decrease in the rate of weathering and erosion.
Animals live around the base of the tower and help to protect it from the wind and water.
Rainwater deposits new material on the top of the tower often, so the towers stays about the same size.
The rock in the tower is more resistant to weathering and erosion than the rock in the other parts of the volcano.
The rock in the tower is more resistant to weathering and erosion than the rock in the other parts of the volcano