Earth Science - Reading Quiz Answer Key

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● What are the five major parts of the climate system? ○ Atmosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere The hydrosphere refers to the ________ that exist at Earth's surface. ○ liquid water, snow and ice, and water vapor The Köppen classification system for climate is widely used because ________. ○ it uses easily obtained data, and the system is relatively clear Köppen relied on ________ as a primary indicator of climate. ○ natural vegetation ________ are the two most important elements in a climatic description. ○ Humidity and temperature Almost ________ of Australia is desert. ○ 40% Midlatitude deserts and steppes form because ________. ○ they are in the interiors of continents The ________ sides of mountains are often wet. ○ Windward The humid subtropical climate dominates the ________ United States. ○ Southeastern The ________ climates are land-controlled climates, the result of broad continents in the middle latitudes. ○ D Identify the above formations in the image below. ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Rank the following events in a single row from initial stages of cave development (left) to later stages of cave development (right). ○ Which of the following is true about karst landscapes? ○ Karst topography erodes at different rates, meaning that tall karst towers might form; Sinkholes form from the same process as cave formations: the dissolution of minerals. As a geologist, you always want to first locate your field site on a map. It helps other geologists to locate the field site for future studies and helps you look for relationships with data from other nearby field sites. Now, determine where you are (your field site) in the world. Choose the map that best locates your field site. ○ The one in Canada Choose the most accurate representation of where you are standing in this scene according to this Gigapan photo. ○ "You" are in the NW, "River" is in the NE and SE Compare the sediments on one side of the stream with the sediments on the other side of the stream. ○ 1st pic - poorly sorted; course-grained; ○ 2nd pic - well sorted; medium- to fine ○ 3rd pic - metamorphic clasts If this sediment deposited by the flood became a sedimentary rock, what type of rock would it be? ○ Conglomerate The floodwaters are gone, but the sediments provide clues as to what was happening during the flood in this area. The velocity of a river determines how much sediment the water can carry. The velocity is determined by factors such as the size of the river channel. What were the floodwaters doing when the sediment was deposited? ○ slowing down and spreading out Choose the location in the photograph where erosion occurred during this recent flood. ○ Answer D, the dot is in the far back Now that you have located the recently eroded area in this image, zoom into that area and take a look at the sediments exposed on the scarp. Refer to the image below as an example of the scarp. Review the statements below, and indicate which are correct. ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● The sediments are not very well sorted; The sediments include rounded cobbles that look similar to the ones that were deposited by the recent flood. Rank the following events in order from oldest to youngest. ○ If you could dig a deep hole to see the layering of sediments below this area, what would you expect to find? Choose the most likely hypothesis from those below. ○ There would be evidence of flood deposits and forests much like we see in the present landscape. Where is the majority of liquid freshwater found? ○ Rocks and sediments The depth below groundwater is the water table. Also, the structure and arrangement of rocks can affect the way groundwater flows. Which of the following can control groundwater’s ability to flow? ○ pores/fractures in the rock; change of water table elevation The presence of the Green River has a significant impact on the water table in the area around Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. How does the relationship between the Green River and the water table affect cave passage formation? ○ As the Green River erodes downward, the water table will lower as the groundwater flows toward the stream, carving new cave passages further from the surface. The Mammoth Plateau near Mammoth Cave National Park is higher in elevation than the surrounding landscape and separates the Sinkhole Plain from the Green River. As the Mammoth Plateau is a major topographical barrier, how does precipitation that falls on the Sinkhole Plain make it into the Green River Valley? ○ Precipitation infiltrates into the subsurface via sinkholes and flows through subterranean passages to the Green River Valley. In the late twentieth century, Hidden River Cave had suffered from significant pollution and bad odor. Although various chemical pollutants had been dumped or spilled nearby, none had intentionally been disposed of in Hidden River Cave. How did they end up there? ○ Hidden River Cave and the dump sites are connected via various sinkholes and subterranean passages. What factors would decrease flow velocity? Choose all that apply. ○ A decrease in gradient of the stream; An increase in stream discharge; Having a rough channel Which of the following is not a factor influencing a stream's flow velocity? ○ channel sinuosity The ________ River is North America's largest river in terms of discharge. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○ Mississippi What physical feature serves as the drainage divide on the western side of the Amazon River drainage basin? ○ Cordillera Central (Andes) The Congo River Basin, located primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is associated with which two natural regions? ○ Evergreen forest and savanna Based on the distribution and size of cities and the degree of urbanization in the Southwest, what area probably has the greatest demand for the river’s water? ○ Los Angeles and southern California Which drainage basin in North America has the largest number of generating stations for hydroelectric power? ○ Columbia and Northwestern United States Which major drainage basin in North America has the largest number of “extremely high” floods between 1985 and 2011? ○ Mississippi-Missouri Alluvium refers to ________, mainly sand and gravel. ○ stream deposits How does an oxbow lake form? ○ An oxbow lake forms when the bend of a meandering river is isolated from the river when it is cut off from the main river channel. This isolated bend becomes the oxbow lake. At a bend in a river, the main erosion is ________. ○ on the outside of the bend ________ is an abandoned, cutoff, meander loop. ○ An oxbow Point bars are ________ features located along the ________ of meander bends. ○ depositional; inside How do natural levees form? ○ Levees form as the result of the repeated flooding of a river within a floodplain. Each time the floodwaters recede, the suspended load that had been carried by the water drops out, building up levees along the banks of the river. The water table is ________. ○ a boundary between saturated rock below and unsaturated rock above Caves most commonly form in ________. ○ Limestone An artesian well is one in which ________. ○ water rises above the top of the aquifer without any pumping Which of the following best describes the cone of depression? ○ a dimple in the water table surface due to water pumped faster than an aquifer can be replenished To ensure a continuous supply of water, a well must do what? ○ penetrate well below the regional water table surface ● ● ● ● ● When water is pumped from a well, drawdown occurs. Which of the following is a true statement regarding drawdown? ○ Drawdown decreases with increasing distance from the well. The cone of depression __________ near a well. ○ increases the hydraulic gradient In which situation does the cone of depression need to be taken into account? ○ A well for industrial purposes is drilled proximal to a smaller, domestic well. The formation of stalactites and stalagmites occurs in the ________. ○ open air (non-submerged) part of a cave Karst topography is most commonly associated with areas underlain by ________. ○ limestone formations