GEOG 1113L Lab 10: Glacial Landscapes Quiz Questions and Answers
100% PASS-GSU
1. Which process is primarily responsible for the transformation of snow into
glacial ice?
A. Sublimation
B. Evapotranspiration
C. Chemical weathering
D. Compaction and recrystallization
Answer: D
Rationale: As snow accumulates, the weight of overlying layers compresses the snow,
increasing its density and recrystallizing it into firn and eventually glacial ice.
2. The line on a glacier that separates the zone of accumulation from the zone of
ablation is called the:
A. Equilibrium line
B. Ice front
C. Terminus
D. Bergschrund
Answer: A
Rationale: The equilibrium line (or snowline) marks the elevation where annual
accumulation equals annual ablation.
,3. A bowl-shaped depression carved into the side of a mountain by a glacier is
known as a(n):
A. Cirque
B. Horn
C. Arête
D. Drumlin
Answer: A
Rationale: Cirques are amphitheater-like valleys formed by glacial erosion at the head of a
glacier.
4. What term describes the unsorted and unstratified sediment deposited
directly by glacial ice?
A. Outwash
B. Loess
C. Till
D. Alluvium
Answer: C
Rationale: Till is the material deposited directly by ice; it is characterized by a lack of
sorting or layering.
5. Which of the following landforms is a result of glacial deposition rather than
erosion?
A. U-shaped valley
B. Fjord
C. Roche moutonnée
D. Esker
Answer: D
Rationale: An esker is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel deposited by
meltwater streams flowing within or under a glacier.
, 6. A pyramid-shaped mountain peak formed by the headward erosion of at least
three cirques is a:
A. Horn
B. Drumlin
C. Arête
D. Kame
Answer: A
Rationale: Horns are sharp, pointed peaks created when multiple cirques erode the same
mountain top from different sides.
7. Glaciers move primarily through which two mechanisms?
A. Sliding and rolling
B. Plastic flow and basal slip
C. Cracking and melting
D. Erosion and deposition
Answer: B
Rationale: Glaciers move via internal plastic deformation of ice crystals and basal sliding
over the underlying bedrock.
8. A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs, formed by the
submergence of a glaciated valley, is a:
A. Lagoon
B. Tarn
C. Estuary
D. Fjord
Answer: D
Rationale: Fjords are U-shaped glacial valleys that have been flooded by rising sea levels
or land subsidence.
100% PASS-GSU
1. Which process is primarily responsible for the transformation of snow into
glacial ice?
A. Sublimation
B. Evapotranspiration
C. Chemical weathering
D. Compaction and recrystallization
Answer: D
Rationale: As snow accumulates, the weight of overlying layers compresses the snow,
increasing its density and recrystallizing it into firn and eventually glacial ice.
2. The line on a glacier that separates the zone of accumulation from the zone of
ablation is called the:
A. Equilibrium line
B. Ice front
C. Terminus
D. Bergschrund
Answer: A
Rationale: The equilibrium line (or snowline) marks the elevation where annual
accumulation equals annual ablation.
,3. A bowl-shaped depression carved into the side of a mountain by a glacier is
known as a(n):
A. Cirque
B. Horn
C. Arête
D. Drumlin
Answer: A
Rationale: Cirques are amphitheater-like valleys formed by glacial erosion at the head of a
glacier.
4. What term describes the unsorted and unstratified sediment deposited
directly by glacial ice?
A. Outwash
B. Loess
C. Till
D. Alluvium
Answer: C
Rationale: Till is the material deposited directly by ice; it is characterized by a lack of
sorting or layering.
5. Which of the following landforms is a result of glacial deposition rather than
erosion?
A. U-shaped valley
B. Fjord
C. Roche moutonnée
D. Esker
Answer: D
Rationale: An esker is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel deposited by
meltwater streams flowing within or under a glacier.
, 6. A pyramid-shaped mountain peak formed by the headward erosion of at least
three cirques is a:
A. Horn
B. Drumlin
C. Arête
D. Kame
Answer: A
Rationale: Horns are sharp, pointed peaks created when multiple cirques erode the same
mountain top from different sides.
7. Glaciers move primarily through which two mechanisms?
A. Sliding and rolling
B. Plastic flow and basal slip
C. Cracking and melting
D. Erosion and deposition
Answer: B
Rationale: Glaciers move via internal plastic deformation of ice crystals and basal sliding
over the underlying bedrock.
8. A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs, formed by the
submergence of a glaciated valley, is a:
A. Lagoon
B. Tarn
C. Estuary
D. Fjord
Answer: D
Rationale: Fjords are U-shaped glacial valleys that have been flooded by rising sea levels
or land subsidence.
