Forces that Change the Earth

Test Review 2011 Mrs. Putnam

The Rocky Mountains have high, jagged peaks, while the Appalachian Mountains are shorter and more rounded. Which mountains are older?

Which of the following causes the buildup of a river delta?

A. lava flow B. weathering, erosion and deposition C. weathering only D. ocean tides

Which of the following can cause large rocks to weather, but prevent erosion?

A. wind B. plants C. ice D. rushing water

Which of the following most often causes erosion, deposition and weathering?

A. ice B. magma C. moving water D. fire

Which of the following is not a force that can change the shape of the land?

A. sunlight B. ice C. delta D. volcano

Where is a glacier most likely to form?

A. in a hot desert B. on a mountain C. in a thick forest D. on the floor of a canyon

Water, wind, ice and gravity are sometimes called agents of erosion. Describe how each one can change the earth’s surface.

WATER Raindrops (especially in dry environments) create splash erosion that moves tiny particles of soil. Water collecting on the surface of the soil collects as it moves towards tiny rivulets and streams and creates sheet erosion.

In streams, water is a very powerful erosional agent. The faster water moves in streams the larger objects it can pick up and transport. This is known as critical erosion velocity. Fine sand can be moved by streams flowing as slowly as three-quarters of a mile per hour.

Water, wind, ice and gravity are sometimes called agents of erosion. Describe how each one can change the earth’s surface.

WIND  occurs almost always in deserts  in the desert is partially responsible for the formation of sand dunes http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1794281/5931740

Water, wind, ice and gravity are sometimes called agents of erosion. Describe how each one can change the earth’s surface.

GLACIER Glaciers can perform to erosive functions - they pluck and abrade. Plucking takes place by water entering cracks under the glacier, freezing, and breaking off pieces of rock that are then transported by the glacier. Abrasion cuts into the rock under the glacier, scooping rock up like a bulldozer and smoothing and polishing the rock surface.

Water, wind, ice and gravity are sometimes called agents of erosion. Describe how each one can change the earth’s surface.

WAVES The pure energy of waves along with the chemical content of the water is what erodes the rock of the coastline. Erosion of sand is much easier for the waves and sometimes, there's an annual cycle where sand is removed from a beach during one season, only to be returned by waves in another. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1794382/5933084

What happens when huge pieces of land suddenly slide up, down, sideways or apart?

A. erosion B. a flood C. weathering D. an earthquake

Which statement describes how a process acting slowly could have caused the river to become shallow over time?

A. A heavy rainfall raised the water level and flooded the river.

   B. A glacier melted upstream and the water flowed into the river.

C. A large amount of soil was moved into the river during an earthquake.

D. A small amount of soil was deposited each time the river current slowed down.

When is a sand dune MOST likely to move?

A. when it is hot B. when it is cold C. when the wind is slow D. when the wind is fast

The picture shows a stream flowing through a desert canyon. The canyon was shaped by natural processes.

 Identify a slow process that could have helped shape the canyon. Describe evidence of this process shown in the picture.

 Then identify a rapid process that could have helped shape the canyon. Describe evidence of this process shown in the picture.

Some processes that shape Earth’s surface are slow. Other processes are rapid.

Which statement describes a rapid change?

A. Glaciers melt and form rivers.

B. Wind weathers rocks into sand.

C. Earthquakes move land and rocks.

D.

Rivers carry sediment and build deltas.

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

A. Erosion breaks apart rock particles, and weathering moves them.

B. Weathering breaks apart rock particles, and erosion moves them.

C. Weathering takes place only in harsh climates such as deserts, and weathering takes place in moderate climates such as forests.

D. Erosion takes place only in harsh climates such as deserts, and weathering takes place in moderate climates such as forests.

Freezing and thawing are two types of 1.

2.

3.

4.

A. chemical weathering B.

erosion C. physical weathering D.

deposition

Over many years, a river changes how it flows. A young river flows rapidly down a shallow bed because it has not developed a floodplain. An old river has a large floodplain and flows slowly around many bends.

Which series shows a river from its youngest age to its oldest?

Sand dunes often have a wavy surface.

What creates this kind of surface?

A. raindrops falling on the sand B. wind blowing across the surface of the dune C. tracks left in the sand as animals look for food D. vibrations caused by earthquakes under the dune

How do these plants slow soil erosion caused by heavy rains?

A. Plants absorb water from the wet soil.

B. Plant roots hold soil particles together.

C. Plant leaves release water from the soil into the air.

D. Plants decrease moisture evaporation from the soil.