Name________________ Soc. Sec. #__________________

Geology 111G, Section 2--Survey of Geology, Spring 2003

Exam 3

Multiple Choice (2 points each). Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico and northern Mexico is likely which of the following types of desert(s) (best answer, please)

a. Topographic.

b. Subtropical.

c. Continental.

d. All of the above.

2. Which of the following is likely not a cause of mass wasting events?

a. Abrupt shocks, such as those caused by earthquakes.

b. Slope modifications, such as removing the toe of the slope during construction.

c. Heavy or prolonged rainfall, causing sediment saturation.

d. Removal of the summit or top of a hill during construction.

3. A cone of sediment located where a river departs the mountains and loses its ability to transport coarse sediment is termed:

a. An alluvial fan.

b. A delta.

c. A levee.

d. A debris cone.

4. The slope of the water table is termed:

a. The relativity equation

b. Darcy’s Law

c. Hydraulic gradient

d. The roughness equation.

5. A mass-wasting feature that consists of discrete blocks above curved failure planes (see drawing) is termed

a. A rock avalanche.

b. Creep.

c. A slump.

d. A mudflow.

6. An deposit of windblown dust, usually tan in color, is termed:

a. A dune

b. Loess

c. Wind flour

d. Siltstone.

7. An equation that describes the discharge of groundwater flow is termed:

a. The relativity equation

b. Darcy’s Law

c. Hydraulic gradient

d. The roughness equation.

8. The depositional feature on the inside of a meander loop is called:

a. Oxbow lake.

b. Natural levee.

c. Point bar.

d. Cutbank.

9. The Sahara is an example of which type of desert?

a. Topographic.

b. Subtropical.

c. Continental.

d. Coastal.

10. Groundwater flow rates tend to be on this scale; therefore, much groundwater use actually represents mining of a nonrenewable resource.

a. Meters/second

b. Feet/second

c. Kilometers/hour

d. Centimeters/day.

11. Which of the following conditions would be undesirable for storing hazardous material, such as low-level nuclear waste, in the subsurface?

a. High water table

b. Flow of groundwater away from biosphere

c. Low seismic risk

d. Enclosing rock of low permeability.

12. The following annual rainfall defines a semi-arid region.

a. Less than 10 inches (25 cm).

b. 10-24 inches (25-60 cm).

c. Less than 2 inches (5 cm)

d. None of the above.

13. What is the name for water found in the pore spaces of sediment in the saturated zone?

a. Groundwater

b. Suspended water

c. Saturated water

d. Space water.

14. The volume of water passing a given point in a stream per unit time (i.e., m³/sec) is termed:

a. Velocity, v.

b. Discharge, Q.

c. Channel dimension, A (=w x d).

d. Darcy's Law.

15. The replenishment of groundwater from the surface, by rain or surface runoff, is termed __________.

a. Recharge

b. Water table

c. Aquifer intrusion

d. Discharge.

16. Which of the following is not a feature of braided rivers?

a. Coarse-grained sediment, such as sand and gravel.

b. Midstream bars.

c. Sub-channels that split and rejoin.

d. Sinuous looping channel.

17. What is the name of the surface that separates the saturated and unsaturated (vadose) zones

a. Unconformity

b. Vadose level

c. Wetted perimeter

d. Water table.

18. How are dust particles transported in a dust storm?

a. By saltation, or bouncing along the ground to form a thin carpet of moving particles.

b. By rolling or dragging along the ground as the wind pushes them.

c. By suspension in the air, commonly to heights of thousands of feet.

d. None of the above processes adequately describe this transport.

19. A well that flows naturally, without the need for artificial lift, is termed:

a. Conventional.

b. Confined.

c. Artesian.

d. Perched.

20. Almost all natural stream flow is:

a. Turbulent.

b. Laminar.

c. Rapid.

d. None of the above.

21. A radial drainage pattern, illustrated below, indicates the following type of geologic control on the stream system:

a. Homogeneous bedrock; therefore little control.

b. Drainage away from a single point like the peak of a volcano.

c. Drainage of an uneven mesa-type surface.

d. Folded bedrock.

22. A sand dune, with several radiating crests, that results from a highly variable annual wind direction and a limited or meager sand supply is termed a __________ dune. This dune type is illustrated in the sketch below.

a. Transverse.

b. Barchan.

c. Longitudinal.

d. Star.

23. The looping bends that form the active channel of a meandering river are termed:

a. Point bars.

b. Levees.

c. Meanders.

d. Flood plains.

24. The statistical time period between floods of a specified magnitude is termed:

a. Flood history.

b. Recurrence interval.

c. Floodplain.

d. Magnitude schedule.

25. Natural flow of groundwater at the surface of the earth, where the water table intersects the surface, is:

a. A well.

b. A spring.

c. An aquifer.

d. An aquiclude.

Short Answer (20 Points; 5 Points Each)

26. Explain the difference between porosity and permeability (define each term). Is it possible to have one without the other? Why?

27. Describe 1) a rectangular drainage pattern and 2) the type of bedrock control that it indicates.

28. Define the term “confined aquifer.” Why does water flow naturally to the surface when wells are drilled into some confined aquifers? You might want to draw a sketch here.

29. Define the term, desertification. List three symptoms or conditions of desertification

Term Recognition (30 points; 3 points each). Fill in the missing term (the blank) using one of the terms from the following list:

peak discharge coastal creep

slump ground water deficit cone of depression

deflation trap necessary

base flow subtropical continental

rock avalanche delta flood

conventional aquifer confined aquifer perched

seismograph elevated topographic

hydrograph spring well

turbulent laminar inconsistent

30. A platform of sediment deposited at a river mouth, where the river enters a river or lake is termed a(n) _____________.

31. ___________ refers to the removal (erosion) of dust by the wind.

32. An artificial opening cut from the surface to the water table is termed a_____________________. Such a feature may be drilled or dug by hand.

33. Which type of mass wasting likely results from long-term wetting and drying or freezing and thawing of unconsolidated slope material? This type of movement is very slow. ____________

34. A chart or record of varying stream discharge with time, measured at a single point on a stream, is termed a _______________.

35. The draw-down of groundwater around a well due to high pumping rates is termed a _______________.

36. Normal surface flow in streams, characterized by irregular particle pathways and lots of eddy currents, is termed ___________ flow.

37. An event in which the discharge of a stream exceeds the capacity of the channel dimension is termed a _______________.

38. A desert formed by a mountainous barrier is termed a ______________ desert, also known as a rain shadow.

39. A desert formed adjacent to cool, upwelling ocean water is termed a ______________ desert. Such deserts are the driest places on earth.