Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting

Multiple Choice

1. The most influential control of soil formation is ____________.

slope orientation

climate

parent material

time

plants and animals

2. The process responsible for moving material downslope without the aid of running water, wind, or ice is ____________.

weathering

mass wasting

laterization

erosion

eluviation

3. The disintegration and decomposition of rock at or near Earth's surface is called ____________.

weathering

erosion

solifluction

eluviation

mass wasting

4. Decayed organic matter in soil is called ____________.

humus

caliche

laterite

loam

regolith

5. Chemical weathering will be most rapid in ____________ climates.

cold, dry

warm, wet

warm, dry

cold, wet

6. Which soil type is most often associated with the wet tropics?

laterite

pedalfer

none of the above

mature

pedocal

7. When a rock is subjected to ____________ it breaks into smaller pieces having the same characteristics as the original rock.

chemical weathering

creep

oxidation

mechanical weathering

eluviation

8. Clay minerals are produced from the chemical weathering of the ____________ minerals.

quartz

carbonate

sulfide

feldspar

oxide

9. Whenever the characteristics and internal structures of weathered minerals have been altered, they have undergone ____________.

creep

chemical weathering

mechanical weathering

mass wasting

eluviation

10. The atmospheric gas that forms a mild acid when dissolved in water is ____________.

carbon dioxide

argon

silica

oxygen

nitrogen

11. The most important agent of chemical weathering is ____________.

erosion

water

gravity

soil

air

12. When a mass of material moves downslope along a curved surface the process is called ____________.

creep

solifluction

rockslide

slump

mudflow

13. In a well developed soil profile the ____________ horizon is the topmost layer.

O ; C; A; E; B

14. The accumulation of rock fragments found at the base of many cliffs is referred to as the ____________.

talus slope

transported residue

earthflow

lahar

base horizon

15. The most widespread form of mass wasting is ____________.

mudflow

rockslide

earthflow

creep

slump

True or False

1. Soils formed from bedrock are called residual soils.

2. Removing vegetation will increase the rate of soil erosion.

3. About fifty percent of the total volume of a good quality soil consists of pore spaces.

4. In general, the greater the slope the thicker the soil.

5. Climate is the most influential control of soil formation.

6. The soil layer composed of partially altered parent material is called the C horizon.

7. The downward movement of material as a viscous fluid is termed slide.

8. Water expands when it freezes.

9. Mass wasting will most likely occur when materials are at an angle that is less than their angle of repose.