ERTH 111 Final Exam With
Complete Solution
Which of the following more accurately describes the situation in which a
glacier will form? - ANSWER More snow falls in the winter than melts in the
summer.
What conditions are required for a glacier to advance? - ANSWER More ice
accumulates in the zone of accumulation than is lost in the zone of ablation.
How do cirque's form? - ANSWER Erosion
What do geologists call poorly sorted, generally unstratified sediment left
directly by melting ice? - ANSWER Till
What happened during the pleistocene Epoch? - ANSWER Marine sediments
record evidence of twenty to thirty glaciations, separated by interglacials
lasting 10,000-20,000 years. North American moraines record at least four of
these.
What do geologists think best explains the ups and downs in paleoclimate
graphs? - ANSWER Cyclical changes in Earth's orbit and rotational axis called
Milankovitch cycles.
List renewable energy sources - ANSWER Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass
Name a hydrocarbon and where do hydrocarbons occur? - ANSWER Propane
(C3H8): crude oil (and products refined from it) and natural gas
What has allowed oil companies to develop unconventional ("shale oil")
,resources starting in about 2008? - ANSWER A trap and reservoir rock;
horizontal drilling and advanced fracking technology
Why has there been such an explosion of use of solar PV to generate
electricity in the last decade? - ANSWER The production cost of solar PV cells
has dropped substantially in the last decade.
What is the principal climate drawback to using fossil fuels as a source of
energy? - ANSWER Burning them emits CO2.
One of the drawbacks of wind and solar energy is "intermittency." What does
this mean? - ANSWER The sun doesn't shine for 24 hours a day, and wind
speed is variable.
What magma characteristics will most likely lead to the most explosive
volcanic eruption? - ANSWER Felsic magma with high gas content.
What type of rock is the result of the most explosive eruption? - ANSWER
Tuff (ash rock) that is felsic in composition
What is a lahar? - ANSWER A mudflow or debris flow made of
water-saturated ash
Composite volcano (stratovolcano) - ANSWER A tall, cone-shaped mountain
in which layers of lava alternate with layers of ash and other volcanic
materials
lava dome - ANSWER A mountain or hill made from highly viscous lava,
which plugs the central conduit of volcanoes
cinder cone - ANSWER A steep, cone-shaped hill or small mountain made of
volcanic ash, cinders, and bombs piled up around a volcano's opening
, shield volcano - ANSWER A low, flat, gently sloping volcano built from many
flows of fluid, low-viscosity basaltic lava
What do you call a very hot and fast-moving cloud of ash and volcanic gases?
- ANSWER Pyroclastic flow
What is the force primarily responsible for mass wasting? - ANSWER Gravity
what is a good indicator that a certain type of mass wasting hazard is likely
to occur in the future? - ANSWER Frequent seismic activity
What is the most common trigger of landslides? - ANSWER Rainfall
What causes creep to occur? - ANSWER Expansion and contraction of the soil
What is the type of mass wasting resulting in the earth moving downslope
along a scoop-shaped failure surface, producing a head scarp? - ANSWER
Slump
Three largest water reservoirs in order of decreasing size - ANSWER Oceans,
ice and snow, groundwater
Description of a drainage basin of a stream - ANSWER Includes all the area
drained by a stream. Surrounded by drainage divides.
Describe a permanent stream (as opposed to an ephemeral stream) -
ANSWER A permanent stream flows year-round, and the stream bed is below
the water table
Water table - ANSWER underground boundary between the zone where
rocks and soil are saturated with water and the zone where the rocks and soil
are not saturated with water
What is discharge in relation to a stream? - ANSWER The volume of water
Complete Solution
Which of the following more accurately describes the situation in which a
glacier will form? - ANSWER More snow falls in the winter than melts in the
summer.
What conditions are required for a glacier to advance? - ANSWER More ice
accumulates in the zone of accumulation than is lost in the zone of ablation.
How do cirque's form? - ANSWER Erosion
What do geologists call poorly sorted, generally unstratified sediment left
directly by melting ice? - ANSWER Till
What happened during the pleistocene Epoch? - ANSWER Marine sediments
record evidence of twenty to thirty glaciations, separated by interglacials
lasting 10,000-20,000 years. North American moraines record at least four of
these.
What do geologists think best explains the ups and downs in paleoclimate
graphs? - ANSWER Cyclical changes in Earth's orbit and rotational axis called
Milankovitch cycles.
List renewable energy sources - ANSWER Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass
Name a hydrocarbon and where do hydrocarbons occur? - ANSWER Propane
(C3H8): crude oil (and products refined from it) and natural gas
What has allowed oil companies to develop unconventional ("shale oil")
,resources starting in about 2008? - ANSWER A trap and reservoir rock;
horizontal drilling and advanced fracking technology
Why has there been such an explosion of use of solar PV to generate
electricity in the last decade? - ANSWER The production cost of solar PV cells
has dropped substantially in the last decade.
What is the principal climate drawback to using fossil fuels as a source of
energy? - ANSWER Burning them emits CO2.
One of the drawbacks of wind and solar energy is "intermittency." What does
this mean? - ANSWER The sun doesn't shine for 24 hours a day, and wind
speed is variable.
What magma characteristics will most likely lead to the most explosive
volcanic eruption? - ANSWER Felsic magma with high gas content.
What type of rock is the result of the most explosive eruption? - ANSWER
Tuff (ash rock) that is felsic in composition
What is a lahar? - ANSWER A mudflow or debris flow made of
water-saturated ash
Composite volcano (stratovolcano) - ANSWER A tall, cone-shaped mountain
in which layers of lava alternate with layers of ash and other volcanic
materials
lava dome - ANSWER A mountain or hill made from highly viscous lava,
which plugs the central conduit of volcanoes
cinder cone - ANSWER A steep, cone-shaped hill or small mountain made of
volcanic ash, cinders, and bombs piled up around a volcano's opening
, shield volcano - ANSWER A low, flat, gently sloping volcano built from many
flows of fluid, low-viscosity basaltic lava
What do you call a very hot and fast-moving cloud of ash and volcanic gases?
- ANSWER Pyroclastic flow
What is the force primarily responsible for mass wasting? - ANSWER Gravity
what is a good indicator that a certain type of mass wasting hazard is likely
to occur in the future? - ANSWER Frequent seismic activity
What is the most common trigger of landslides? - ANSWER Rainfall
What causes creep to occur? - ANSWER Expansion and contraction of the soil
What is the type of mass wasting resulting in the earth moving downslope
along a scoop-shaped failure surface, producing a head scarp? - ANSWER
Slump
Three largest water reservoirs in order of decreasing size - ANSWER Oceans,
ice and snow, groundwater
Description of a drainage basin of a stream - ANSWER Includes all the area
drained by a stream. Surrounded by drainage divides.
Describe a permanent stream (as opposed to an ephemeral stream) -
ANSWER A permanent stream flows year-round, and the stream bed is below
the water table
Water table - ANSWER underground boundary between the zone where
rocks and soil are saturated with water and the zone where the rocks and soil
are not saturated with water
What is discharge in relation to a stream? - ANSWER The volume of water
