SOLVED

11) Which one of the following is an important, mechanical weathering process for enlarging fractures and extending them deeper into large boulders and bedrock? A) oxidation B) eluviation C) hydrologic cycling D) frost wedging 12) Which of the following best describes sets of fractures in relatively fresh bedrock, such as granite, that are roughly parallel to the land surface? A) thermal expansion cracks B) sheeting fractures C) hydrolytic failures D) columnar joints 13) What two chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals? A) soluble sodium and potassium bicarbonates B) insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium bicarbonates C) silica and insoluble clay minerals D) silica and soluble calcium bicarbonate 14) Under similar warm, moist climatic conditions, why would basalt and gabbro generally have higher chemical weathering rates than rhyolite and granite? A) The quartz in the gabbro and basalt decomposes very quickly. B) The ferromagnesian minerals in the gabbro and basalt are subject to oxidation and chemical breakdown. C) The plagioclase feldspars in the granite and rhyolite decompose readily to clay minerals and iron oxides. D) The potassium feldspars and quartz in the rhyolite and granite are more susceptible to cracking by frost wedging. 15) Which one of the following statements concerning mechanical weathering is not true? A) It reduces grain sizes of rock particles. B) It allows for faster rates of chemical weathering. C) It is important in the formation of talus slopes. D) It involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material. 16) Which term describes a soil formed by weathering of the underlying bedrock? A) transformational B) residual C) relict D) transported 17) Which one of the following statements best describes erosion? A) Erosion is the disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface. B) Erosion is the movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope. C) Erosion is the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere. D) Erosion is the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting. 18) Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope? A) podzolization B) slope sheeting C) mass wasting D) talus transfer 19) Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statement is true? A) Water expands as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. B) Water shrinks as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be drawn closer together. C) Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart. D) Water shrinks as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pulled closer together. 20) Which of the following best describes the A soil horizon? A) regolith zone B) erosion zone C) residual zone D) leaching zone