Most deserts are found along or near the
A. tropic of Cancer and they cover about 25% of the total land area.
B. tropic of Capricorn and they cover about 25% of the total land area.
C. tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and they cover about 25% of the total land area.
D. tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and they cover about 10% of the total land area.
ANSWER: 

Deserts are areas that receive less than
A. 25 cm of rain each year.
B. 2.5 cm of rain each year.
C. 2.5 cm of rain each month.
D. 2.5 mm of rain each month.
ANSWER: 

Deserts are often found in regions about 30o
A. N and S of the equator due to the hot rising air currents found there.
B. N and S of the equator due to dry air masses that are warmed as they descend in these areas.
C. N of the equator due to warm, dry rising air masses found there.
D. S of the equator due to warm descending clouds found there.
ANSWER: 

Some deserts occur in rain shadows, like certain areas on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, because as
A. dry air descends on the east side of the mountains it is compressed, warmed and evaporates moisture.
B. moist air rises over the mountain it is warmed causing evaporation.
C. moist air descends over the mountains it is warmed causing evaporation
D. dry air rises over the mountains it expands and warms causing evaporation.
ANSWER: 

Choose the correct set of reasons for some deserts.
A. Some are a great distance from a moisture source; other coastal deserts are created by warm, dry winds blowing on shore
B. Some are a great distance from a moisture source; other coastal deserts are created by warm ocean currents which warm the coastal winds and cause evaporation on land.
C. Some are located in the interiors of continents; other coastal deserts are created by cool, dry winds blowing on shore.
D. Some are located in the interiors of continents; other coastal deserts are created by warm ocean currents which warm the coastal winds and cause evaporation on land.
ANSWER: 

There are several ways deserts are formed. They include all except which of the following?
A. the subtropical descent of near-equatorial air currents and cold coastal currents in warm latitudes
B. the inability of cold air masses to hold moisture in polar areas and cold coastal currents in warm latitudes
C. the subtropical descent of near-equatorial air currents and the rain shadow effect
D. the inability of cold air masses to hold moisture in polar areas and warm coastal currents and winds
ANSWER: 

The drainage in desert areas is often internal because streams
A. sink into the soil and caves.
B. evaporate or flow into caves.
C. sink into the soil or collect in lakes.
D. collect in lakes or caverns.
ANSWER: 

Wind is often an effective force in deserts because
A. the soil always consists of very fine materials.
B. the wind blows hard all the time.
C. there is always a lot of sand.
D. the soil is dry and loose.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following are not properly associated?
A. Blow outs and cirques are created by deflation.
B. Depressions and desert pavement are created by deflation.
C. Dunes and loess are wind deposits.
D. Desert varnish is created by wind, moisture and chemical reactions.
ANSWER: 

Wind erosion would cease (choose the incorrect choice)
A. once the water table is exposed by deflation.
B. once desert pavement is formed.
C. if large pieces of rock cover the ground.
D. once a dune is formed.
ANSWER: 

The process of desertification refers mainly to the creation of desert conditions due to the
A. rapid rise in the temperature and hence increased evaporation in an area.
B. steady decreases of precipitation in an area.
C. disruption of the balance of nature by human activity.
D. decrease of precipitation and the increase of warm winds.
ANSWER: 

One lesson that we should learn from the Great Plains of the U.S. and Sahal of North Central Africa is that
A. over-grazed soil never recovers.
B. over-grazed soil can lead to drought-like conditions in the soil.
C. poor soils always leads to a drought.
D. misuse of water leads to a drought.
ANSWER: 

23 "Glaciers" 
13. The extent and paths of past glaciers were originally recognized by
A. noting piles of silt.
B. naturalists studying an area in Scotland.
C. noting the trail of large rocks (erratics).
D. finding fossils that indicate colder conditions.
ANSWER: 

Glaciers can only develop at 
A. latitudes where it is below freezing most of the year.
B. elevations where it is below freezing most of the year.
C. elevations where it is able to snow anytime during the year.
D. latitudes where more snow accumulates than melts each year.
ANSWER: 

Which is the most complete and correct sequence concerning the creation of glacial ice?
A. Snow accumulates - becomes compacted squeezing out air - recrystallizes to form glacial ice.
B. Snow accumulates - recrystallizes to form glacial ice - compacts into firn.
C. Snow collects into firn - recrystallizes into glacial ice - compacts to squeeze out air.
D. Snow recrystallizes - forms glacial ice - compacts into firn.
ANSWER: 

Glacial ice is brittle
A. 20 meters where the pressure causes it to start melting.
B. 20 meters where it begins to flow.
C. 200 meters where it begins to flow.
D. 200 meters where the pressure causes it to start melting.
ANSWER: 

Glaciers move at various rates due to several factors but typical rates are on the order of a few
A. centimeters per day.
B. millimeters per hour.
C. millimeters per day.
D. yards per day.
ANSWER: 

One method that enables glaciers to move is
A. basal slip which results from plastic flow.
B. basal slip which results from melt water at the base.
C. plastic flow which results from melt water at the base.
D. plastic flow which results from basal slip.
ANSWER: 

Which are differences between valley and continental glaciers?
A. continental glaciers are larger, flow in all directions, only move by basal slip
B. valley glaciers are smaller, confined to a channel, form in mountainous areas
C. valley glaciers are smaller, have one direction of motion, are colder
D. continental glaciers flow out in all directions from their thickest point by basal slip
ANSWER: 

In valley glaciers, the zone of wastage is always
A. upslope from the zone of accumulation but below the snow line.
B. downslope from the zone of saturation and the snow line.
C. downslope from the zone of saturation but above the snow line.
D. downslope from the zone of accumulation and the snow line.
ANSWER: 

Choose the correct response concerning the advance (growth) of glaciers and the retreat (shrinking) of glaciers.
A. If more ice moves into the zone of wastage than melts at the snout (end), the glacier will advance.
B. If more ice moves into the zone of wastage, the glacier will shrink.
C. If more ice moves from the zone of accumulation to the zone of wastage, the glacier will shrink.
D. If more ice moves from the zone of wastage to the zone of accumulation, the glacier will advance.
ANSWER: 

Sediment carried by glaciers comes mainly from
A. mechanical and chemical weathering, rockfall and pulling rocks loose (plucking).
B. landslides, chemical weathering and plucking.
C. mechanical weathering, rock fall and pulling rocks loose (plucking).
D. chemical weathering, landslides and polishing rocks.
ANSWER: 

Evidence of glacial activity and erosion is best demonstrated by
A. polished surfaces, striations, "V" shaped valleys and moraines.
B. polished surfaces, scratch marks and moraines.
C. striations, "V" shaped valleys and till.
D. scratch marks, alluvial fans and moraines.
ANSWER: 

Moraines are important to geologists because they
A. are made of till.
B. readily indicate where a glacier has been.
C. are the source of many fossils.
D. are made of loess which are often eroded by wind and water to create rich farming areas.
ANSWER: 

During what we call the last Ice Age
A. glaciers advanced several times as climates cooled and retreated several times as climates warmed.
B. glaciers retreated several times as climates cooled and advanced several times as climates warmed.
C. sea level fell steadily during this time.
D. sea level rose higher during times of glacial advance and fell during times of retreat.
ANSWER: 

The exact causes of Ice Ages are unknown but according to the video they seem to be tied to such phenomena as
A. the cooling of the sun's output and changes in the Earth's tilt and orbital shape.
B. the cooling of the sun's output and the wobbling of the Earth on its axis.
C. the changes in the Earth's tilt and orbital shape plus plate tectonics.
D. plate tectonics and the cooling of the sun's output.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following was not true during the last Ice Age?
A. Sea level dropped 300-400 feet and streams flowed faster because their base level was lowered.
B. Sea level dropped 200-300 feet and the base levels of rivers were raised.
C. Sea level dropped 300-400 feet and the base levels of rivers were lowered.
D. Coast lines shifted and more erosion occurred.
ANSWER: 

Choose the incorrect choice concerning the end of the Ice Age.
A. The mouths and lower valleys of some rivers became estuaries, harbors and inlets.
B. Rivers flowed faster because base level was rising.
C. Some lower river valleys became filled with sediment.
D. A tremendous weight of ice was taken off the continents which resulted in uplift.
ANSWER: 

Landforms created by ice sheets or continental glaciers would include mainly moraines, drumlins,
A. kettles and cirques.
B. eskers and cirques.
C. eskers and aretes.
D. eskers and kettles.
ANSWER: 

An indicator of past climates is the amount of
A. carbon dioxide in bubbles of ancient ice found deep within ice sheets.
B. oxygen in bubbles of ancient ice found deep within ice sheets.
C. nitrogen in bubbles of ancient ice found deep within ice sheets.
D. volcanic ash found in ancient ice layers.
ANSWER: 
