2. Which is the least important factor that contributes to mass wasting?

The angle of the slope.
Increasing the weight by adding buildings.
The addition of water to a slope.
The impact of sonic booms.

3. Processes of mass wasting are difficult to classify because

they sometimes occur too fast for accurate observation.
no two are ever the same.
they are often transitional in nature; what begins as one form, ends as another.
they are always different in different areas.

4. Types of mass movements are classified according to the

composition, manner of movement and size of the movement.
composition, speed of movement and size of the movement.
composition, speed of movement and manner of movement.
manner of movement, speed of movement and the number of times it occurs.

5. The most widespread mass wasting process is

landslide activity that move more than 10 cm/year.
landslide activity that move less than 10 cm/year.
creep phenomena that move 1 cm/year or less.
creep phenomena that move more than 10 cm/year.

6. The main cause of creep is

the rock fatigue.
gravity.
slippage on clay.
heavy haunted houses.

7. Choose the correct statement concerning slump development.

They are slow, saturated mud units that begin as block movements.
They are slow, saturated rocky debris units that begin as block movements.
They are intermediate to fast, thick rocky debris units that begin as block movements.
They are intermediate to fast, thick, saturated rocky debris units.

8. Which of the following may help stabilize a slide area?

draining water from the slide area.
undercutting the toe (base) of the slide.
adding fill material to the upper part of the slide.
building more roads with ditches across the slide.

9. Debris flows are

intermediate speed slips made up of vegetation, rock, and soil.
slow flows made up of silt, sand and boulders.
slow slides made up of high density, fluid-like materials.
the combination of silt, sand and boulders saturated with water creating a fluid-like mixture.

10. Choose the incorrect response concerning rock and debris slides.

They take place in mountainous areas.
They are a major problem on some highways with over steepened road cuts.
They do not usually travel very far.
They are among the fastest moving mass wasting processes.

11. Geologist that assess the stability of slopes for building purposes usually look for all except (Choose the incorrect set of characteristics.)

dipping layers of rock, evidence of faulting and indicators of creep.
dipping layers of rock, water content and mineral layers.
dipping layers of rock, water content and evidence of faulting.
water content, indicators of creep and evidence of faulting.

12. Creep and slumps are mitigated by (Note: mitigate means to lessen or moderate)

decreasing the slope, while landslides are usually mitigated by removal of material.
trenching, while landslides are sometimes mitigated by decreasing the slope.
using some sort of support at the bottom or toe, while landslides are mitigated by trenching
a rock covering, while landslides are sometimes mitigated by decreasing the slope.

13. Which of the following mass wasting processes is not properly grouped from slower to faster?

creep, slump, debris flow
creep, landslide , slump
slump, landslide, rock avalanche
slump, debris flow, rock avalanche

Lesson 17 "Sedimentary Rocks"

14. Which of the following cannot be easily learned or interpreted from a study of sedimentary rocks?

past climates, patterns of vegetation and the ancient topography of an area.
past climates, patterns of vegetation and positions of ancient shorelines.
past climates, patterns of vegetation and the rate of drift of ancient plates.
patterns of vegetation, positions and patterns of ancient shorelines and topographies.

15. A major portion of the continental crust is

composed of sedimentary rock.
composed of sediments.
covered by sedimentary rock.
covered by metamorphic rock.

16. The composition of sediment and therefore sedimentary rock is controlled by

weathering and water.
weathering and erosion.
erosion and mass wasting.
erosion and mechanical weathering only.

17. One of the most common types of sediment is called

clastic and is classified on the basis of composition.
chemical and is classified on the basis of how it was deposited.
chemical and is classified on the basis of composition.
clastic and is classified on the basis of size.

18. In the process of transporting sediment

larger clastic particles are deposited first.
smaller clastic particles are deposited first.
particles are deposited according to compaction.
larger clastic particles are sometimes deposited first and at other times last.

19. The two main mechanisms of lithification are

compaction and evaporation.
cementation and evaporation.
cementation and compaction.
cementation and chemical evaporation.

20. In the ocean, organisms often trigger a series of processes that allow

calcium carbonate to form shells which accumulate to create coal and silicates.
calcium carbonate to form shells, reefs and limestone.
silica to form shells and reefs which accumulate to create limestone.
silica to form shells and reefs which accumulate to create coal.

21. Choose the incorrect statement.

Radiolaria and diatoms create rocks called chert and diatomite
Carbonate shells create limestone.
Radiolaria and diatoms create limestone and diatomite.
Moss, leaves, trees compacted in swamps or lagoons eventually create coal.

22. Sedimentary rocks have characteristics that tell us about the past because:

they contain radioactive trace elements that give their age.
they usually contain minerals of economic value that only form in one environment.
these rocks have formed throughout geologic time in the same way they are forming now.
they always contain a variety of pollen that carefully describes the ancient climate.

23. An example of a sedimentary structure that helps geologists reconstruct the environment of deposition are bedding planes which

are always caused by short interruptions in deposition.
are mostly horizontal but sometimes build at angles to form cross-beds.
are mostly formed by dunes or deltas.
mostly build up sloping layers.

24. The direction of water flow can be determined by

ripple marks and mud cracks.
ripple marks and scour and fill deposits.
cross-bedding and ripple marks
cross-bedding and mud cracks.

25. Coarse, angular fragments in a sedimentary rock tells us that the fragments

were deposited by a large river.
were deposited by wind only.
were created by an earthquake.
have not been carried or moved very far.

Prepared by: Mike Mitchell

Be sure to review your quizzes before taking the test.