A level Weathering Quiz 1

16 Questions

Quiz Description

A level Weathering Quiz. Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils, and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, water, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs in situ (i.e., on site, without displacement), that is, in the same place, with little or no movement, and thus should not be confused with erosion, which involves the transport of rocks and minerals by agents such as water, ice, snow, wind, waves and gravity and then being transported and deposited in other locations.

Two important classifications of weathering processes exist – physical and chemical weathering; each sometimes involves a biological component. Mechanical or physical weathering involves the breakdown of rocks and soils through direct contact with atmospheric conditions, such as heat, water, ice and pressure. The second classification, chemical weathering, involves the direct effect of atmospheric chemicals or biologically produced chemicals also known as biological weathering in the breakdown of rocks, soils and minerals.[1] While physical weathering is accentuated in very cold or very dry environments, chemical reactions are most intense where the climate is wet and hot. However, both types of weathering occur together, and each tends to accelerate the other. For example, physical abrasion (rubbing together) decreases the size of particles and therefore increases their surface area, making them more susceptible to chemical reactions. The various agents act in concert to convert primary minerals (feldspars and micas) to secondary minerals (clays and carbonates) and release plant nutrient elements in soluble forms.

The materials left over after the rock breaks down combined with organic material creates soil. The mineral content of the soil is determined by the parent material; thus, a soil derived from a single rock type can often be deficient in one or more minerals needed for good fertility, while a soil weathered from a mix of rock types (as in glacial, aeolian or alluvial sediments) often makes more fertile soil. In addition, many of Earth's landforms and landscapes are the result of weathering processes combined with erosion and re-deposition.

1:

Exfoliation domes form from:


Correct
  • 1:
    frost wedging
  • 2:
    pressure release
  • 3:
    hydrolysis
  • 4:
    root wedging
2:

One expects talus cones to be most abundant in areas:


Correct
  • 1:
    where abundant rainfall is available to dissolve limestone
  • 2:
    in tropical areas where thick soil and abundant vegetation occurs
  • 3:
    in high mountains that have many days of sub-freezing temperatures
  • 4:
    none of the above
3:

Which of the following human activities has resulted in increased rates of weathering?


Correct
  • 1:
    the release of sulfur and nitrogen oxides that cause acid rain
  • 2:
    the physical disintegration of rocks during construction and mining
  • 3:
    both A and B
  • 4:
    neither A nor B
4:

Which of the following conditions promotes slow chemical weathering?


Correct
  • 1:
    cold temperatures
  • 2:
    thick soils
  • 3:
    high rainfall
  • 4:
    fracturing
5:

Which of the following factors would increase the chemical weathering rate?


Correct
  • 1:
    increasing rainfall
  • 2:
    increasing temperature
  • 3:
    increasing organic activity
  • 4:
    all of these
6:

Which of the following minerals would be most likely to form a clay mineral during chemical weathering?


Correct
  • 1:
    iron oxide
  • 2:
    mica
  • 3:
    calcite
  • 4:
    quartz
7:

Which of the following minerals found in a granite is not altered by chemical weathering?


Correct
  • 1:
    biotite
  • 2:
    feldspar
  • 3:
    magnetite
  • 4:
    quartz
8:

What is the name for soils that are rich in calcium?


Correct
  • 1:
    laterites
  • 2:
    evaporites
  • 3:
    pedocals
  • 4:
    pedalfers
9:

In the atmosphere, carbonic acid forms from the reaction of carbon dioxide and ______.


Correct
  • 1:
    water
  • 2:
    oxygen
  • 3:
    nitrogen
  • 4:
    fossil fuels
10:

The physical and chemical weathering of a granite will produce __________.


Correct
  • 1:
    ions dissolved in rainwater and soil water
  • 2:
    mineral fragments and granite fragments
  • 3:
    clay minerals and iron oxides
  • 4:
    all of these
11:

Which of the following farming practices helps to prevent the erosion of topsoil?


Correct
  • 1:
    plowing a field perpendicular to the contour lines
  • 2:
    plowing a field parallel to the contour lines
  • 3:
    plowing a field in the direction that the water drains
  • 4:
    none of these will help prevent soil erosion.
12:

The physical and chemical weathering of a granite will produce ________ .


Correct
  • 1:
    ions dissolved in rainwater and soil water
  • 2:
    mineral fragments and granite fragments
  • 3:
    clays and iron oxides
  • 4:
    all of these
13:

As a rock breaks into smaller pieces, the surface area to volume ratio ______ .


Correct
  • 1:
    increases
  • 2:
    decreases
  • 3:
    stays the same
  • 4:
    can increase or decrease depending on the size of the pieces
14:

Caves are most lively to form in which of the following rock types?


Correct
  • 1:
    granite
  • 2:
    limestone
  • 3:
    basalt
  • 4:
    sandstone
15:

Which of the following statements about weathering is false?


Correct
  • 1:
    rocks of different compositions weather at different rates
  • 2:
    heat and heavy rainfall increase the rate of chemical weathering
  • 3:
    the presence of soil slows down the weathering of the underlying bedrock
  • 4:
    the longer a rock is exposed at the surface, the more weathered it becomes
16:

Soil is composed of ____________ .


Correct
  • 1:
    organic matter produced by organisms
  • 2:
    fragments of bedrock
  • 3:
    clay minerals formed by the chemical alteration of bedrock
  • 4:
    all of these

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A level Weathering Quiz 1
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