Key Weathering and Erosion Mega Packet PDF

WEATHERING AND EROSION MEGA PACKET
1. Which agent of erosion is most likely responsible for 6. The diagram below shows granite bedrock with
the deposition of sandbars along ocean shorelines? cracks. Water has seeped into the cracks and frozen.
The arrows represent the directions in which the
A) glaciers B) mass movement
cracks have widened due to weathering.
C) wave action D) wind action
2. Why is the surface of Mercury covered with meteor
impact craters, while Earth’s surface has relatively
few craters?
A) Mercury is larger than Earth, so it gets hit with
more meteors.
B) Mercury is an older planet, so it has a longer
history of meteor impacts.
C) Earth’s less dense water surface attracts fewer
meteors.
D) Earth’s hydrosphere and atmosphere destroyed
or buried most meteor impact sites.
3. Which characteristic would most likely remain

constant when a limestone cobble is subjected to
extensive abrasion?
A) shape B) mass Which statement best describes the physical
C) volume D) composition weathering shown by the diagram?
4. In the cartoon below, Lucy gives Linus incorrect A) Enlargement of the cracks occurs because water
information about pebbles. expands when it freezes.
B) This type of weathering occurs only in bedrock
composed of granite.
C) The cracks become wider because of chemical
reactions between water and the rock.
D) This type of weathering is common in regions of
primarily warm and humid climates.
If Lucy wanted to give Linus correct information
7. Which type of climate has the greatest amount of rock
about pebbles, which statement would be most
weathering caused by frost action?
accurate?
A) a wet climate in which temperatures remain
A) Pebbles can become cemented together to form a
below freezing
rock called gabbro.
B) a wet climate in which temperatures alternate
B) Pebble is the name given to the smallest-size from below freezing to above freezing
sediment.
C) a dry climate in which temperatures remain
C) Any large rock that weathers could become a
pebble. below freezing
D) a dry climate in which temperatures alternate
D) Magma is composed of pebbles.
from below freezing to above freezing
5. Which process involves either a physical or chemical
8. Which rock weathers most rapidly when exposed to
breakdown of earth materials?
acid rain?
A) deposition B) sedimentation
A) quartzite B) granite
C) weathering D) cementing
C) basalt D) limestone
9. The cross section below shows the movement of wind-driven sand particles that strike a partly exposed
basalt cobble located at the surface of a windy desert.
Which cross section best represents the appearance of this cobble after many years of exposure to the
wind-driven sand?
A) B)
C) D)
10.The diagram below shows the stump of a tree whose 11.The diagram below shows a process called frost
root grew into a small crack in bedrock and split the wedging.
rock apart.
The action of the root splitting the bedrock is an

example of
A) chemical weathering
B) deposition Frost wedging is an example of
C) erosion A) weathering B) cementing
D) physical weathering C) metamorphism D) deposition
12. The two block diagrams below represent the formation of caves.
Which types of weathering and erosion are primarily responsible for the formation of caves?
A) chemical weathering and groundwater flow
B) chemical weathering and runoff
C) physical weathering and groundwater flow
D) physical weathering and runoff
13. Impact craters are more obvious on the Moon and 16. Which property of water makes frost action a
Mercury than on Earth because common and effective form of weathering?
A) meteorites have not struck Earth A) Water dissolves many earth materials.
B) weathering processes on Earth have removed B) Water expands when it freezes.
most craters C) Water cools the surroundings when it
C) Earth is younger than Mercury or the Moon evaporates.
D) all meteorites burn up in Earth's atmosphere D) Water loses 334 Joules of heat per gram when it
freezes.
14. By which processes are rocks broken up and moved
to different locations? 17. Which event is an example of chemical weathering?
A) evaporation and condensation A) rocks falling off the face of a steep cliff
B) weathering and erosion B) feldspar in granite being crushed into clay-sized
C) burial and cementation particles
D) compaction and transportation C) water freezing in cracks in a roadside outcrop
D) acid rain reacting with limestone bedrock
15. At high elevations, which is the most common form
of physical weathering? 18. Which activity demonstrates chemical weathering?
A) abrasion of rocks by the wind A) freezing of water in the cracks of a sandstone
B) alternate freezing and melting of water sidewalk
C) dissolving of minerals into solution B) abrasion of a streambed by tumbling rocks
D) oxidation by oxygen in the atmosphere C) grinding of talc into a powder
D) dissolving of limestone by acid rain
19. Landscapes will undergo the most chemical
weathering if the climate is
A) cool and dry B) cool and wet
C) warm and dry D) warm and wet
20. In which climate would the chemical weathering of 24. Which geologic feature is caused primarily by
limestone occur most rapidly? chemical weathering?
A) cold and dry B) cold and humid A) large caves in limestone bedrock
C) warm and dry D) warm and humid B) a pattern of parallel cracks in a granite
mountain
21. The block diagram below represents a landscape
where caverns and sinkholes have gradually C) blocks of basalt at the base of a steep slope
developed over a long period of time. D) the smooth, polished surface of a rock in a dry,
sandy area
25. Rock samples brought back from the Moon show
absolutely no evidence of chemical weathering. This
is most likely due to
A) the lack of an atmosphere on the Moon
B) extremely low surface temperatures on the
Moon
C) lack of biological activity on the Moon
Why did these caverns and sinkholes form?
D) large quantities of water in the lunar "seas"
A) The bedrock chemically reacted with acidic
groundwater.
26. Chemical weathering will occur most rapidly when
rocks are exposed to the
B) This type of bedrock contained large amounts
of oxygen and silicon. A) hydrosphere and lithosphere
C) Glacial deposits altered the shape of the B) mesosphere and thermosphere
bedrock. C) hydrosphere and atmosphere
D) Crustal uplift formed gaps in the bedrock. D) lithosphere and atmosphere
22. The block diagram below represents caves that 27. Which change in climate would most likely cause
developed in a region over time. the greatest increase in chemical weathering of local
bedrock?
A) lower temperature in winter
B) lower humidity in winter
C) higher atmospheric pressure in summer
D) greater precipitation in summer
28. Water is a major agent of chemical weathering
because water
A) cools the surroundings when it evaporates
Which type of weathering was primarily responsible B) dissolves many of the minerals that make up
for the development of these caves? rocks
C) has a density of about one gram per cubic
A) physical weathering of sandstone
centimeter
B) physical weathering of limestone
D) has the highest specific heat of all common
C) chemical weathering of sandstone earth materials
D) chemical weathering of limestone
29. A large rock is broken into several smaller pieces.
23. Which factor has the greatest influence on the Compared to the rate of weathering of the large
weathering rate of Earth’s surface bedrock? rock, the rate of weathering of the smaller pieces is
A) local air pressure B) angle of insolation A) less B) greater
C) age of the bedrock D) regional climate C) the same
Base your answers to questions 30 through 33 on

the laboratory experiment described below.
The weathering of four different rock samples with different masses was studied. Each rock
sample was placed in a separate beaker containing 500 milliliters of a dilute acid for 10 minutes.
Bubbling was observed in some of the beakers. The data table below shows the mass of each
sample, in grams, before placement in the acid and after removal from the acid.
30. Which property of the gneiss sample prevented it from weathering?

A) crystalline texture B) mineral composition
C) density D) cleavage
31. Approximately what percentage of the marble sample remained after the experiment?
A) 0.4% B) 8.0% C) 20.7% D) 99.6%
32. Which table correctly shows the classification of the rock samples based on the amount of weathering
during this experiment?
A) B)
C) D)
33. Which Earth process is being modeled in this experiment?

A) physical weathering in the hydrosphere B) physical weathering in the mesosphere
C) chemical weathering in the hydrosphere D) chemical weathering in the mesosphere
Base your answers to questions 34 through 36 on flowchart below, which shows a general overview
of the processes and substances involved in the weathering of rocks at Earth's surface. Letter X
represents an important substance involved in both major types of weathering, labeled A and B on the
flowchart. Some weathering processes are defined below the flowchart.
34. Which weathering process is most common in a hot, dry environment?

A) abrasion B) carbonation C) frost action D) hydrolysis
35. Which substance is represented by X on both sides of the flowchart?
A) potassium feldspar B) air
C) hydrochloric acid D) water
36. Which term best identifies the type of weathering represented by A?
A) physical B) biological C) chemical D) glacial
37. In hot, wet climates, bedrock rapidly weathers into 38. As a particle of sediment in a stream breaks into
soil because water several smaller pieces, the rate of weathering of the
sediment will
A) dissolves many minerals
B) expands when it freezes A) decrease due to a decrease in surface area
C) is part of most chemical compounds B) decrease due to an increase in surface area
D) cools the surroundings when it evaporates C) increase due to a decrease in surface area
D) increase due to an increase in surface area
39. The diagram below represents a naturally occurring geologic process.
Which process is best illustrated by the diagram?

A) cementation B) erosion C) metamorphism D) weathering
Base your answers to questions 40 through 42 on the photograph below and on your knowledge of
Earth science. The photograph shows a small waterfall located on the Tug Hill Plateau.
40. Rock fragments that are tumbled and carried over long distances by this stream are most likely
becoming
A) less dense, harder, and smaller B) less rounded, jagged, and larger
C) more dense, angular, and smaller D) more rounded, smoother, and smaller
41. Compared to the bedrock layers above and below the rock ledge shown at the waterfall, the
characteristic that is primarily responsible for the existence of the rock ledge is its greater
A) resistance to weathering B) abundance of fossils
C) thickness D) age
42. During which geologic time period was the surface bedrock at this location formed?
A) Cretaceous B) Triassic C) Devonian D) Ordovician
43. The block diagram below shows a cross section of a landscape. Letters A, B, C, D, and E represent
different rock layers.
Which rock layers appear to be most resistant to weathering?

A) A and B B) B and D C) C, D, and E D) A, C, and E
44. The generalized cross section below shows the 46. The cross section below shows rock layers that
sedimentary rock layers at Niagara Falls in western underwent crustal movement during an igneous
New York State. intrusion in the Cretaceous Period.
Which statement best describes the cause of the

ridges shown?
A) The rock layers were evenly weathered.
B) Some rock layers were more resistant to
weathering and erosion.
Which rock layer appears to be most resistant to C) The igneous intrusion flowed over the surface.
weathering and erosion?
D) More deposition occurred at the ridge sites after
A) Lockport dolostone uplift.
B) Rochester shale 47. A rock will weather faster after it has been crushed
C) Grimsby sandstone because its
D) Queenston shale
A) volume has been increased
45. Humus, which is formed by the decay of plant and B) surface area has been increased
animal matter, is important for the formation of most C) density has been decreased
A) soils B) minerals D) molecular structure has been altered
C) sediment D) surface bedrock
Base your answers to questions 48 and 49 on on the photographs and news article below.
Old Man's Loss Felt in New Hampshire
FRANCONIA, N.H. — Crowds of visitors were drawn to Franconia Notch on Sunday to

mourn the loss of New Hampshire's well-known symbol — the Old Man of the Mountain granite
profile.
The 700-ton natural formation was just a pile of rocks after breaking loose from its
1,200-foot-high mountainside perch. It was unclear when the outcropping fell because clouds had
obscured the area Thursday and Friday; a state park trail crew discovered the collapse Saturday
morning.
The famous mountain's history dates millions of years. Over time, nature carved out a
40-foot-tall profile resembling an old man's face, and it eventually became New Hampshire's most
recognizable symbol.
The Buffalo News, May 5, 2003
48. Which agent of erosion is most likely responsible for the collapse of the granite profile?
A) running water B) glacial ice
C) wave action D) mass movement
49. What does granite bedrock found high on a mountaintop indicate?
A) The crust has been sinking. B) Global temperatures have cooled.
C) A large amount of erosion has occurred. D) Sea level has risen.
50. The diagram below represents a cross section of a 51. Adding automobile exhaust gases to the atmosphere
portion of the Earth's crust showing four different has had the greatest impact on landscape
rock layers, A, B, C, and D. development by
A) changing the position of crustal plates
B) changing Earth’s prevailing wind patterns
C) increasing the rate of chemical weathering
D) increasing the amount of ozone in ground
water
Which rock layer shows the greatest evidence of
erosion?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
52. The two photographs below show dates on 54. The cross section below shows sedimentary rocks
tombstones found in a cemetery in St. Remy, New being eroded by water at a waterfall.
York. The tombstones were 5 meters apart and both
faced north. Tombstone A had dates cut into the rock
in 1922. Tombstone B had dates cut into the rock in
1892.
The sedimentary rock layers are being weathered

and eroded at different rates primarily because the
rock layers
A) formed during different time periods
B) contain different fossils
C) have different compositions
D) are horizontal
55. The photograph below shows an arch of rock located
in the western United States.
Which statement best explains why the dates are
more difficult to read on tombstone A than on
tombstone B?
A) Tombstone A is composed of minerals less
resistant to weathering than tombstone B.
B) Tombstone A has undergone a longer period of
weathering than tombstone B.
C) Tombstone A experienced cooler temperatures
than tombstone B.
D) Tombstone A was exposed to less acid rain than
tombstone B.
53. In the cross section of the hill shown below, which
rock units are probably most resistant to weathering?
How did the arch most likely form?

A) The bedrock in the arch was more resistant to
weathering and erosion than the surrounding
bedrock that was removed.
B) An earthquake forced bedrock upward into the
shape of an arch.
C) Sand and gravel were deposited and compacted
A) I and II B) II and III in the shape of an arch.
C) I and III D) II and IV D) An underground glacier tunneled through the
bedrock.
56. The geologic cross section below shows a hill slope and the rock layers that underlie it.
Which difference between the sandstone, shale, and limestone layers caused the formation of the
relatively gently sloped section labeled "bench"?
A) rock age B) fossil content
C) resistance to weathering D) amount of uranium-238
57. Base your answer to the following question on The 59. The diagram below represents a geologic cross
diagram below represents a sedimentary rock section.
outcrop.
Which rock type appears to have weathered and

eroded the most?
Which rock layer is the most resistant to weathering? A) B)
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
58. Which factor has the least effect on the weathering C) D)
of a rock?
A) climatic conditions 60. Solid bedrock is changed to soil primarily by the
B) composition of the rock process of
C) exposure of the rock to the atmosphere A) erosion B) weathering
D) the number of fossils found in the rock C) infiltration D) transpiration
61. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below of a cross section of a portion of
Earth’s crust. Letters A through D represent landscape features, and numbers 1 through 7 represent
rock layers. The detail shows a fossil found in layer 3.
Which landscape features provide evidence that weathering and erosion were likely to have occurred?
A) A and D, only B) B and C, only
C) A, C, and D, only D) A, B, C, and D
62. The diagram below represents a geologic cross 63. Which long-term atmospheric changes would
section of a portion of the Earth's surface. The letters increase the rate of chemical weathering of surface
identify different layers of sedimentary rock. bedrock?
A) decreasing temperature and decreasing
precipitation
B) decreasing temperature and increasing
precipitation
C) increasing temperature and decreasing
precipitation
D) increasing temperature and increasing
precipitation
Which rock layer is probably the most resistant to

erosion?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
64. The cross section below shows residual soils that 67. The photograph below shows a steep-sided rock
developed on rock outcrops of metamorphic formation that is over 100 meters high. This
quartzite and sedimentary limestone. landscape feature is located in an arid region.
Which statement best explains why the soil is

thicker above the limestone than it is above the
quartzite?
A) The quartzite formed from molten magma.
B) The limestone is thicker than the quartzite.
C) The quartzite is older than the limestone.
D) The limestone is less resistant to weathering than
the quartzite.
What would happen to this landscape feature if the
climate became more humid?
65. Two different kinds of minerals, A and B, were
A) less weathering and erosion, producing a more
placed in the same container and shaken for 15
rounded landscape feature
minutes. The diagrams below represent the size and
B) less weathering and erosion, producing a more
shape of the various pieces of mineral before and
angular landscape feature
after shaking. What caused the resulting differences
in shapes and sizes of the minerals? C) more weathering and erosion, producing a more
rounded landscape feature
D) more weathering and erosion, producing a more
angular landscape feature
68. The diagram below shows an outcrop of different
layers of sandstone in a region receiving heavy
rainfall.
A) Mineral B was shaken harder.

B) Mineral B had a glossy luster.
C) Mineral A was more resistant to abrasion.
D) Mineral A consisted of smaller pieces before
shaking began.
66. Four pieces of the same rock material which have
different shapes but equal volumes are exposed to
the atmosphere. Which piece would probably Which sandstone layer appears to be the least
weather fastest? resistant to weathering?
A) a piece shaped like a sphere A) A B) B C) C D) D
B) a piece shaped like a cube
C) a piece shaped like a cylinder
D) a piece shaped flat and thin
Base your answers to questions 69 and 70 on the cross section below, which shows the bedrock of a
portion of the Helderberg Escarpment, located in Thacher State Park near Albany, New York. The
rock formations are identified by name.
69. Which formations appear to be the most resistant to weathering?

A) Esopus and Oriskany
B) Onondaga and Coeymans
C) Schoharie, and Marcellus and Hamilton
D) New Scotland, and Schenectady and Indian Ladder beds
70. What is the main factor that causes the bedrock to weather at different rates?
A) elevation above sea level B) mineral composition
C) age of rock layers D) environment of formation
71. What occurs when a rock is crushed into a pile of 72. The four limestone samples illustrated below have
fragments? the same composition, mass, and volume. Under the
same climatic conditions, which sample will weather
A) The total surface area decreases and chemical
fastest?
composition changes.
B) The total surface area decreases and chemical A) B)
composition remains the same.
C) The total surface area increases and chemical
composition changes.
D) The total surface area increases and chemical
composition remains the same. C) D)
Base your answers to questions 73 and 74 on the graph below, which shows the effect that average
yearly precipitation and temperature have on the type of weathering that will occur in a particular
region.
73. Which type of weathering is most common where the average yearly temperature is 5°C and the
average yearly precipitation is 45 cm?
A) moderate chemical weathering
B) very slight weathering
C) moderate chemical weathering with frost action
D) slight frost action
74. The amount of chemical weathering will increase if
A) air temperature decreases and precipitation decreases
B) air temperature decreases and precipitation increases
C) air temperature increases and precipitation decreases
D) air temperature increases and precipitation increases
75. Which erosional force acts alone to produce 76. Which agent of erosion most likely formed the
avalanches and landslides? drumlins and finger lakes in New York State?
A) gravity B) winds A) running water B) moving ice
C) running water D) sea waves C) wave action D) mass movement
77. The diagram below shows four magnified block-shaped sandstone samples labeled A, B, C, and D.
Each sandstone sample contains quartz grains of different shapes and sizes. The quartz grains are
held together by hematite cement.
In which sample did the quartz grains undergo the most abrasion during erosional transport?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
78. The demonstration shown in the diagram below 79. Which graph best represents the chemical
indicates that powdered limestone reacts faster than weathering rate of a limestone boulder as the
a single large piece of limestone of equal mass when boulder is broken into pebble-sized particles?
both are placed in acid.
A) B)
C) D)
80. In the diagram below, sample X and sample Y

represent equal masses of earth material which are
weathering under the same conditions. The samples
The most likely reason powdered limestone reacts have the same mineral composition.
faster is that it has
A) less total volume
B) more chemical bonds
C) more total surface area
The weathering rate for sample Y will most likely be
D) lower density
A) less than X B) greater than X
C) the same as X
81. The data table below gives information about four 84. What is the best explanation for the shape of the cliff
samples of limestone particles. Each sample has a in the diagram?
total mass of 1 kilogram. The particles in each
sample are of uniform diameter.
A) Rocks A and C are made of larger particles

than rock B.
B) The particles in rocks A and C are more firmly
Which sample would dissolve at the fastest rate cemented than those in rock B.
when placed in a container of dilute hydrochloric C) The minerals in rocks A and C erode faster than
acid? those in rock B.
A) A B) B C) C D) D D) Rocks A and C have not been exposed to
weathering as long as rock B.
82. The diagram below represents equal masses of two
identical rock samples. Sample A is one large block, 85. The cross section below shows soil layer X, which
while sample B was cut into four smaller blocks of was formed from underlying bedrock.
equal size.
If subjected to the same environmental conditions,

sample B will weather more quickly than sample A.
The best explanation for this is that the
A) volume of sample B is greater than that of
sample A
B) surface area of sample B is greater than that of
sample A
C) density of sample A is greater than that of
sample B
D) hardness of sample A is greater than that of
sample B
83. The formation of soil is primarily the result of Which change would most likely cause soil layer to
A) stream erosion and mass movement increase in thickness?
B) stream deposition and runoff A) a decrease in slope
C) precipitation and wind erosion B) a decrease in rainfall
D) weathering and biological activity C) an increase in biologic activity
D) an increase in air pressure
86. Lichens are usually the first organisms that appear in barren, rocky areas. They use rootlike structures
to split bedrock into small fragments. Lichens also secrete acidic solutions that help break down rock.
The cross sections below represent an area when lichens first appeared (time 1) and that same area
hundreds of years later, after it was changed by lichens and exposed to air and water (time 2).
The soil shown in time 2 was formed mainly by

A) compaction and cementing
B) weathering and biological activity
C) faulting and tilting of rock strata
D) mass movement and deposition of particles
87. The cross section below shows layers of soil.
Which two processes produced the layer of dark brown to black soil?
A) melting and solidification of magma B) erosion and uplifting
C) weathering and biologic activity D) compaction and cementation
88. An island measures 10 kilometers from east to west and 8 kilometers from north to south. A single
hill on the east side of the island has a maximum elevation of 57 meters and is steepest to the north.
Draw a simple contour map to represent this island, using a distance scale of 1 centimeter = 1
kilometer and a contour interval of 10 meters.
89. The cross section below shows a soil profile. 93. The diagram below shows a soil profile formed in an
area of granite bedrock. Four different soil horizons,
A, B, C, and D, are shown.
Which soil horizon contains the greatest amount of

material formed by biological activity?
This soil was formed primarily by A) A B) B C) C D) D
A) erosion by glaciers 94. The mineral composition of a residual soil is most
B) erosion by running water affected by the
C) capillarity and human activity A) depth of the water table
D) weathering and biological activity B) elevation of the surface
90. Soil horizons develop as a result of C) steepness of hillslopes
D) type of bedrock material
A) evaporation and transpiration
B) compacting and cementing 95. Characteristics such as composition, porosity,
C) weathering and biological activity permeability, and particle size are used to describe
D) faulting and folding different types of
91. Which factor has the most influence on the A) hillslopes

development of soil? B) stream drainage patterns
C) soils
A) climate
D) landscapes
B) longitude
C) amount of rounded sediment 96. Which factors most directly control the development
D) slope of the landscape of soils?
92. Which substance found in a soil sample collected in A) soil particle sizes and method of deposition
an arid region would most likely be absent in a soil B) bedrock composition and climate characteristics
sample collected in a humid region?
C) direction of prevailing winds and storm tracks
A) rock salt B) quartz
D) earthquake intensity and volcanic activity
C) obsidian D) pyroxene
97. The graph below shows how environmental 100.Sediments found in glacial moraines are best
temperatures affect the amount of organic material described as
(humus) added to and removed from soils in humid
A) sorted and layered
regions.
B) sorted and not layered
C) unsorted and layered
D) unsorted and not layered
101.Why are Precambrian gneiss cobbles and boulders
commonly found on top of the surface bedrock in
the Catskills?
A) The surface bedrock of the Catskills is
composed of Precambrian gneiss.
B) The surface bedrock of the Catskills has been
overturned.
C) Many meteorites composed of gneiss have
landed in the Catskills.
D) Glaciers transported these rocks from the
Adirondacks to the Catskills.
The graph supports the conclusion that soils in
regions with average annual temperatures above 102.The surface bedrock of a region of eastern Delaware
25°C have is shale. Which statement best explains why the soil
that covers the shale in this region contains abundant
A) little humus present garnet and gneiss pebbles?
B) the highest production of humus
A) Volcanic lava flowed over the shale bedrock.
C) a low breakdown of humus
B) A meteor impact scattered garnet and gneiss
D) the same amount of humus as soils in cooler pebbles over the area.
regions
C) The soil consists of rock materials transported to
98. Which change would cause the topsoil in West this region by agents of erosion.
Virginia to increase in thickness? D) The soil formed from the chemical and physical
A) an increase in slope weathering of shale.
B) an increase in biologic activity 103. On a field trip 40 kilometers east of the Finger
C) a decrease in rainfall Lakes, students observed a boulder of gneiss on the
D) a decrease in air temperature surface bedrock. This observation best supports the
inference that the
99. Sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate cobbles are
found in a streambed in New York State where the A) surface sedimentary bedrock was weathered to
surrounding bedrock is composed of shales and form a boulder of gneiss
siltstones. The most likely explanation for the B) surface sedimentary bedrock melted and
presence of these cobbles is that they were solidified to form a boulder of gneiss
A) weathered from the surrounding bedrock C) gneiss boulder was formed from sediments
that were compacted and cemented together
B) formed when shale and siltstone bedrock were
eroded D) gneiss boulder was transported from its
original area of formation
C) transported to this area from another region
D) metamorphosed from shale and siltstone 104. Which sediment is most easily picked up and
transported by the wind?
A) cobbles B) pebbles
C) sand D) silt
Base your answers to questions 105 and 106 on

the block diagram and the cross section below. The block diagram shows the present position of
Niagara Falls in relation to the Niagara Escarpment. The cross section shows the general bedrock
structure of present-day Niagara Falls.
101. There are no major faults in the vicinity of the Niagara Escarpment that would explain its formation
by crustal movement. What is the most logical explanation of how the escarpment formed?
A) Erosion removed the rock layers north of the escarpment.
B) The rock layers north of the escarpment were folded upward.
C) The Lockport dolomite was deposited south of the escarpment only.
D) The unconformity provided a layer that was resistant to the erosion of the river.
106. Which evidence in the cross section of Niagara Falls most clearly shows that erosion is occurring
today?
A) upper rock units of early Silurian age
B) layering of the rock units of the face of the falls
C) sand grains within the Grimsby and Whirlpool sandstones
D) piles of rock fragments at the base of the falls
107. What is the best evidence that a glacial erratic has 111. The cross section below represents large boulders
been transported? made of granite, gneiss, and quartzite that are
found lying on limestone bedrock near Oswego,
A) It is located at a high elevation in a
New York.
mountainous area.
B) It is less than 25 centimeters in diameter.
C) Its composition is different from that of the
bedrock under it.
D) It appears to have been intensely
metamorphosed.
108. On the Earth's surface, transported materials are
more common than residual materials. This
condition is mainly the result of If no overturning of bedrock has occurred, which
A) subduction B) erosion statement correctly explains the source of the
boulders?
C) folding D) recrystallization
A) The limestone was changed by contact
109. Large igneous boulders have been found on surface
metamorphism caused by a lava flow.
sedimentary bedrock in North Carolina. Which
statement best explains the presence of these B) The limestone bedrock formed under
boulders? conditions of high heat and pressure.
C) Older igneous and metamorphic bedrock that
A) Sedimentary bedrock is composed of igneous once covered the limestone eroded away,
boulders. forming the boulders.
B) Boulders were transported to the area by ice. D) The boulders were transported and deposited
C) The area has had recent volcanic activity. on the limestone bedrock by a glacier.
D) The area was once part of a large mountain
112. The major source of sediments found on the deep
range.
ocean bottom is
110. A landslide is an example of
A) erosion of continental rocks
A) river deposition B) submarine landslides from the mid-ocean
B) glacial scouring ridges
C) mass movement C) icebergs that have broken off of continental
D) chemical weathering glaciers
D) submarine volcanic eruptions
113. Which statement best characterizes the soils found 118. Unsorted, angular, rough-surfaced cobbles and
in New York State? boulders are found at the base of a cliff. What most
likely transported these cobbles and boulders?
A) All the soil has been removed by glaciation.
B) Wind erosion has been the dominant agent in A) running water B) wind
soil formation. C) gravity D) ocean currents
C) Transported soils are similar in composition to 119. A large, scratched boulder is found in a mixture of
underlying bedrock. unsorted, smaller sediments forming a hill in
D) Transported soils are far more common than central New Jersey. Which agent of erosion most
residual soils. likely transported and then deposited this boulder?
114. Particles of soil often differ greatly from the A) wind B) a glacier
underlying bedrock in color, mineral composition, C) ocean waves D) running water
and organic content. Which conclusion about these
soil particles is best made from this evidence? 120. A sediment particle transported by a stream over a
long period of time will most likely show
A) They are residual sediments.
B) They are transported sediments. A) a decrease in mass and number of angular
edges
C) They are uniformly large-grained.
B) a decrease in density and size
D) They are soluble in water.
C) an increase in weight and hardness
115. The composition of sediments on the Earth's D) an increase in volume and number of cleavage
surface usually is quite different from the planes
composition of the underlying bedrock. This
observation suggests that most 121. Which statement identifies a result of glaciation
that has had a positive effect on the economy of
A) bedrock is formed from sediments Connecticut?
B) bedrock is resistant to weathering
A) Large amounts of oil and natural gas were
C) sediments are residual
formed.
D) sediments are transported
B) The number of usable water reservoirs was
116. Granite pebbles are found on the surface in a reduced.
certain area where only sandstone bedrock is C) Many deposits of sand and gravel were
exposed. Which is the most likely explanation for formed.
the presence of these pebbles? D) Deposits of fertile soil were removed.
A) The granite pebbles were transported to the 122. What change will a pebble usually undergo when it
area from a different region.
is transported a great distance by streams?
B) Some of the sandstone has been changed into
granite. A) It will become jagged and its mass will
decrease.
C) The granite pebbles were formed by
weathering of the exposed sandstone bedrock. B) It will become jagged and its volume will
increase.
D) Ground water tends to form granite pebbles
within layers of sandstone rock. C) It will become rounded and its mass will
increase.
117. Pieces of bedrock material that are broken from a D) It will become rounded and its volume will
cliff and deposited by a landslide at the base of the decrease.
cliff are best described as
123. Which erosional agent typically deposits hills of
A) rounded and sorted unsorted sediments?
B) rounded and unsorted
A) glaciers B) streams
C) angular and sorted
C) winds D) ocean waves
D) angular and unsorted
124. Which quartz sample has probably undergone 128. The block diagram below shows a displacement of
abrasion in a stream for the longest period of time? rock layers.
A) B)
C) D)
125. Which rock material was most likely transported to

its present location by a glacier?
A) rounded sand grains found in a river delta
B) rounded grains found in a sand dune
C) residual soil found on a flat plain
Which process describes the downward sliding of
D) unsorted loose gravel found in hills
the rock material?
126. The diagram below shows the surface features of a
A) tidal changes B) glacial erosion
landscape.
C) mass movement D) lava flow
129. The diagram below shows the sequence of events
leading to the deposition of landslide debris.
What was the primary force that caused this

landslide?
A) gravity B) moving ice
Based on the features shown, which erosional agent C) prevailing winds D) stream discharge
had the greatest effect on tree growth and the 130. For which movement of earth materials is gravity
structures that humans have built on this landscape? not the main force?
A) running water B) moving ice A) sediments flowing in a river
C) prevailing wind D) mass movement B) boulders carried by a glacier
127. The best evidence that erosion has taken place C) snow tumbling in an avalanche
would be provided by D) moisture evaporating from an ocean
A) deep residual soil observed on a hillside 131. Several tons of rock move from a mountaintop to a
B) sediment observed at the bottom of a cliff valley floor during a landslide. During the
landslide, the potential energy of the rock
C) tilted rock layers observed on a mountain
D) faulted rock layers observed on a plateau A) decreases B) increases
C) remains the same
132. The diagrams below represent four different examples of one process that transports sediments.
Which process is shown in these diagrams?

A) chemical weathering B) wind action
C) mass movement D) rock abrasion
133. Base your answer to the following question on 136. Which cross section best represents the valley
the diagram below, which represents a profile of a shape where a rapidly flowing stream is cutting
stream. Points A through E are locations along the into the bedrock in a mountainous area?
stream.
A)
B)
C)
The primary force responsible for the flow of water
in this stream is
A) solar energy B) magnetic fields
C) wind D) gravity D)
134. Which energy transformation occurs as a rock falls
freely from the top of a vertical cliff?
A) The rock's potential energy and kinetic energy 137. Trees growing on the edge of a river's meander are
decrease. most likely to fall into the river due to
B) The rock's potential energy decreases and the
rock's kinetic energy increases. A) deposition on the inside of the meander
C) The rock's potential energy increases and the B) deposition on the outside of the meander
rock's kinetic energy decreases. C) erosion on the inside of the meander
D) The rock's potential energy and kinetic energy D) erosion on the outside of the meander
increase. 138. A river’s current carries sediments into the ocean.
135. Which landscape feature was most likely formed by Which sediment size will most likely be deposited
glacial activity? in deeper water farthest from the shore?
A) an eroded plateau B) a flat floodplain A) pebble B) sand
C) a U-shaped valley D) a V-shaped valley C) silt D) clay
Base your answers to questions 139 and 140 on the block diagram below and on your knowledge of
Earth science. The block diagram represents a landscape that was produced by a meandering stream.
One landscape feature is labeled X. Letters A, B, C, and D represent locations on the stream banks.
139. Erosion is most likely greatest at locations

A) A and B B) B and C C) C and D D) D and A
140. The landscape feature labeled X is best described as
A) a flood plain B) a sand bar C) a delta D) an escarpment
141. The map below shows a meandering stream as it 142. The diagram below shows a section of a meander in
enters a lake. The arrow shows the direction of a stream. The arrows show the direction of stream
stream flow. Points A through D represent locations flow.
on the surface of the stream.
The streambank on the outside of this meander is

steeper than the streambank on the inside of this
meander because the water on the outside of this
meander is moving
The greatest stream velocities are found closest to
points A) slower, causing deposition
B) faster, causing deposition
A) A and B B) B and C
C) slower, causing erosion
C) C and D D) D and A
D) faster, causing erosion
143. The cross section below represents a portion of a 144. The block diagram below represents a stream
meandering stream. Points X and Y represent two flowing from a mountain region.
positions on opposite sides of the stream.
Based on the cross section, which map of a

meandering stream best shows the positions of
points X and Y? A brief, heavy rainstorm occurs in the mountains.
How will the volume of water and the rate of
A) erosion in the stream change shortly after the
rainstorm?
A) The volume of water will decrease and the
rate of erosion will increase.
B) The volume of water will increase and the rate
of erosion will decrease.
C) Both the volume of water and the rate of
B) erosion will decrease.
D) Both the volume of water and the rate of
erosion will increase.
145. What will be the most probable arrangement of

rock particles deposited directly by a glacier?
A) sorted and layered
B) sorted and not layered
C) C) unsorted and layered
D) unsorted and not layered
146. Which event is the best example of erosion?
A) breaking apart of shale as a result of water
freezing in a crack
B) dissolving of rock particles on a limestone
gravestone by acid rain
D) C) rolling of a pebble along the bottom of a stream
D) crumbling of bedrock in one area to form soil

147. As a result of glaciation, New York has
A) few lakes
B) many V-shaped valleys
C) many sand and gravel deposits
D) thick soils formed "in place" from underlying
bedrock
148. The block diagram below represents an igneous dome that uplifted overlying rock layers, which
were then weathered and eroded.
Which stream drainage pattern is most likely found on the surface of the area represented by the
block diagram?
A) B)
C) D)
149. The diagram below shows a glacial landscape feature forming over time from a melting block of ice.
This glacial landscape feature is best identified as

A) a kettle lake B) an outwash plain
C) a finger lake D) a moraine
150. The greater the time that stream sediment is 151. An increase in the velocity of a stream is most
transported, the greater the probability that the likely due to
sediment will become more
A) an increase in stream discharge
A) angular and smaller B) an increase in the width of the riverbed
B) angular and larger C) a decrease in the slope of the stream channel
C) rounded and smaller D) a decrease in the amount of material held in
D) rounded and larger suspension
Base your answers to questions 152 and 153 on the diagram and data table below. The diagram shows
the equipment used to determine the factors affecting the rate of erosion in a stream. The data table
shows the time it took a 10-gram sample of quartz sand to move 100 centimeters down the rain gutter
under various conditions.
152. What is the relationship between the water velocity and the rate of erosion?
A) If the water velocity decreases, the rate of erosion increases.
B) If the water velocity increases, the rate of erosion increases.
C) If the water velocity remains constant, the rate of erosion decreases.
D) If the water velocity remains constant, the rate of erosion increases.
153. In this experiment, the water velocity could be increased by
A) decreasing the slope of the rain gutter
B) increasing the amount of water from the faucet
C) lowering the flexible hose
D) widening the rain gutter
154. The occurrence of parallel scratches on bedrock in 155. How would unsorted piles of angular sediments
a U-shaped valley indicates that the area has most most likely be transported and deposited?
likely been eroded by
A) wind B) glaciers
A) a glacier B) a stream C) ocean waves D) running water
C) waves D) wind
156. A cross section of Niagara Falls is shown below.
Which two rock units appear to be most resistant to weathering and erosion?
A) Lockport dolostone and Whirlpool sandstone
B) Rochester shale and Albion sandstone and shale
C) Clinton limestone and shale and Queenston shale
D) Thorold sandstone and Queenston shale
157. Which graph best represents the relationship between the discharge of a stream and the velocity of
stream flow?
A) B)
C) D)
158. The model shown below illustrates stream erosion between locations A and B in the stream.
Placing a second block under location A will cause the stream's velocity to
A) decrease and the rate of erosion to decrease
B) decrease and the rate of erosion to increase
C) increase and the rate of erosion to decrease
D) increase and the rate of erosion to increase
159. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams below. Diagrams A, B, and C represent
three different river valleys.
Most sediments found on the floodplain shown in diagram A are likely to be

A) angular and weathered from underlying bedrock
B) angular and weathered from bedrock upstream
C) rounded and weathered from underlying bedrock
D) rounded and weathered from bedrock upstream
160. Which landscape characteristic indicates a 161. The natural sandblasting (abrasion) of surface
landscape has been formed primarily by streams? bedrock in a desert region is the result of
A) residual soil covering a large area A) wind erosion
B) coastal sand dunes B) wave erosion
C) V-shaped valleys C) mass movement
D) parallel hills of unsorted sediments D) chemical precipitation
162. The map below shows the bend of a large meandering stream. The arrows show the direction of
stream flow, Letters A, B, and C are positions on the streambed where erosion and deposition data
were collected.
Which table best represents the locations where erosion and deposition are dominant and where an
equilibrium exists between the two processes? [A check mark represents the dominant process for
each lettered location.]
A)
B)
C)
D)
163. The map below shows the path of a river. The 166. The diagram below shows a sedimentary rock
arrow shows the direction the river is flowing. sample.
LettersA and B identify the banks of the river.
Which agent of erosion was most likely responsible

The water depth is greater near bank A than bank B for shaping the particles forming this rock?
because the water velocity near bank A is A) mass movement B) wind
A) faster, causing deposition to occur C) glacial ice D) running water
B) faster, causing erosion to occur 167. The diagram below shows a stream flowing past
C) slower, causing deposition to occur points X and Y. If the velocity of the stream at point
D) slower, causing erosion to occur X is 100 centimeters per second, which statement
best describes the sediments being transported past
164. The diagram below shows points A, B, C, and D on
these points?
a meandering stream.
A) At points X and Y, only clay is being

transported.
B) At points X and Y, only sand, silt, and clay are
being transported.
At which point does the greatest stream erosion C) Some pebbles being transported at point Y are
bigger than those being transported at point X.
occur?
D) Some pebbles and cobbles are being
A) A B) B C) C D) D transported at points X and Y, but not sand,
165. Which change is most likely to occur in a landscape silt, or clay.
if its climate changes from humid to arid? 168. Glaciers often form parallel scratches and grooves
A) Wind will become a more important agent of in bedrock because glaciers
erosion.
A) deposit sediment in unsorted piles
B) Surface features will become more rounded. B) deposit rounded sand in V-shaped valleys
C) Chemical weathering will increase. C) continually melt and refreeze
D) Vegetation will increase. D) drag loose rocks over Earth’s surface
169. The diagram below shows a meandering stream flowing across nearly flat topography and over
loose sediments.
If arrow length represents stream velocity, which diagram best shows the relative stream velocities
in this section of the stream?
A) B)
C) D)
170. Two streams begin at the same elevation and have 172. The map below shows the area surrounding a
equal volumes. Which statement best explains why meandering stream.
one stream could be flowing faster than the other
stream?
A) The faster stream contains more dissolved
minerals.
B) The faster stream has a much steeper gradient.
C) The streams are flowing in different
directions.
D) The faster stream has a temperature of 10°C,
and the slower stream has a temperature of
20°C.
171. Which agent of erosion was primarily responsible At which point is erosion greatest?
for forming the long, narrow, U-shaped valleys in A) A B) B C) C D) D
the Finger Lakes region of New York State?
173. The particles in a sand dune deposit are small and
A) wind very well-sorted and have surface pits that give
B) landslides them a frosted appearance. This deposit most likely
C) meandering streams was transported by
D) continental glaciers A) ocean currents B) glacial ice
C) gravity D) wind
174. The map below shows a meandering river. A–A' is 175. Base your answer to the following question on the
the location of a cross section. The arrows show the map below, which shows a portion of a stream that
direction of the river flow. flows southward. Letters A through E represent
locations in the stream. Line XY is the location of a
cross section.
Which cross section along line XY best represents

the shape of the stream bottom?
Which cross section best represents the shape of A)
the river bottom at A–A'?
A)
B) C)
B)
D)
C)
176. Why do most streams in the Northeast have a

D)
greater stream discharge in spring than in summer?
A) Potential evapotranspiration is greater in
spring than in summer.
B) More transpiration occurs in spring than in
summer.
C) Most New York State water budgets have a
deficit in spring.
D) Melting snow increases runoff in spring.

the diagram below, which represents the landscape features associated with a meandering river.
Letters W, X, Y, and Z represent locations on the floodplain.
177. During transport by this river, a sediment particle will most likely become
A) more rounded B) more dense C) heavier D) larger
178. Which change would most likely increase the velocity of the river?
A) a decrease in the slope of the river
B) a decrease in the temperature of the river
C) an increase in the river's discharge
D) an increase in the width of the river
179. The choices below represent stages in the formation of a meandering river. Which sequence best
represents the usual changes over time?
A)
B)
C)
D)
180. The map below represents a meandering stream 182. The diagram below is a map view of a stream
flowing into a lake. A student measured water flowing through an area of loose sediments.
depths in the stream at three locations: A–A', B–B', Arrows show the location of the strongest current.
and C–C'.
Which set of cross sections best represents the

stream bed at the three locations?
Which stream profile best represents the cross
A)
section from A to A' ?
A)
B)
B)
C)
C)
D)
D)
181. Base your answer to the following question on the 183. The diagram below shows a cross section of a river.
diagram below, which represents the landscape Letters A, B, C, and D represent points in the river.
features associated with a meandering stream.
Points W, X, Y, and Z are locations along the
stream bank.
At which point is the water most likely to have the

greatest velocity?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
184. Sharp-edged, irregularly shaped sediment particles
found at the base of a rock cliff were probably
At which location is erosion greatest? transported by
A) W B) X C) Y D) Z A) gravity B) wind
C) ocean waves D) running water

the information and diagrams below.
A mixture of colloids, clay, silt, sand, pebbles, and cobbles is put into stream I at point A. The water
velocity at point A is 400 centimeters per second. A similar mixture of particles is put into stream II at
point A. The water velocity in stream II at point A is 80 centimeters per second.
185. If a sudden rainstorm occurs at both streams above point A, the erosion rate will
A) increase for stream I, but not for stream II
B) increase for stream II, but not for stream I
C) increase for both streams
D) not change for either stream
186. Which statement is the most accurate description of conditions in both streams?
A) The greatest deposition occurs at point B.
B) Particles are carried in suspension and by bouncing along the bottom.
C) The particles will have a greater velocity than the water in the stream.
D) The velocity of the stream is the same at point B as at point C.
187. Which statement best describes what happens when the particles are placed in the streams?
A) Stream I will move all particles that are added at point A.
B) Stream II will move all particles that are added at point A.
C) Stream I cannot move sand.
D) Stream II cannot move sand.
188. Which diagram represents a side view of a sand dune most commonly formed as a result of the
prevailing wind direction shown?
A) B)
C) D)
189. The map below represents a large stream meander (bend). The arrows show the direction of stream
flow. Stream velocity was measured at surface locations A, B, and C.
Which graph best represents the relative velocities of the stream at locations A, B. and C?
A) B)
C) D)
190. Base your answer to the following question on the 191. The diagram below shows the cross section of a
diagram below. The diagram shows points A, B, C, stream channel and the height of the stream surface
and D on a meandering stream. on various dates of the year.
Which material is most likely to be transported in

suspension during periods of slowest stream
velocity? The stream's velocity from June 19 to July 20 at
this section of the stream most likely
A) gravel B) sand
A) decreased, only
C) silt D) clay
B) decreased, then increased
C) increased, only
D) remained constant
192. The diagram below shows a meandering stream. 194. The diagrams below represent the map view of a
Measurements of stream velocity were taken along stream and the cross section of the stream at line
straight line AB. XY. Letters A, B, C, and D identify four locations
within the stream.
Which graph best shows the relative stream

velocities across the stream from A to B?
A) At which location is the water moving fastest?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
195. The map below represents a view of a flowing
stream. The letters identify locations in the stream
near the interface between land and water. At
B) which two locations is erosion due to flowing water
likely to be greatest?
C)
D)
A) A and B B) B and D
C) A and D D) B and C
193. Stream A has a steeper slope than stream B.
However, the average water velocity of stream B is 196. Many elongated hills are found scattered across
greater than that of stream A. Which is the most New Hampshire. These hills contain a mixture of
reasonable explanation for this? unsorted sediments of all sizes. Erosion and
deposition by which agent probably formed these
A) Stream B has more friction to overcome along hills?
its banks.
B) Stream B has a higher average temperature. A) wind B) waves
C) Stream B has a greater volume of water. C) streams D) glaciers
D) Stream B has a curved streambed.
197. The diagram below represents a cross section of a stream. Points A, B, C, D, and E are locations
within the stream channel.
Which graph best represents stream velocity at locations A through E?

A) B)
C) D)
Base your answers to questions 198 through 201 on the reading passage below and on your
knowledge of Earth science.
Roche Moutonée
A roche moutonée is a glacial landscape feature produced as an advancing glacier slides over a
hill of surface bedrock. As the glacier advances up the side of the hill, the surface bedrock is
abraded and smoothed by rock fragments carried within the base of the glacial ice, creating a more
gentle hillslope. As the glacier advances down the opposite side of the hill, chunks of bedrock are
broken off and removed by the ice, a process called glacial quarrying (plucking), making this side
of the hill steeper. The resulting hill resembles a drumlin, except it is often smaller and is
composed of solid rock.
198. The chunks of bedrock removed by glacial quarrying and transported by the glaciers most likely
produce
A) terminal outwash plains B) kettle lake depressions
C) V-shaped valleys D) parallel scratches in surface bedrock
199. A drumlin differs from a roche moutonée because a drumlin is
A) formed by glaciers B) dome shaped
C) deposited by glacial meltwater D) composed of loose sediments
200. Which side-view model best shows the direction of ice movement and the locations of glacial
abrasion and glacial quarrying that form a roche moutonée?
A) B)
C) D)
201. The formation of a roche moutonée by glaciers is best described as an example of

A) chemical weathering B) physical weathering
C) sediment deposition D) mass movement
202. In the two diagrams below, the length of the arrows 203. The photograph below shows scratched and
represents the relative velocities of stream flow at polished bedrock produced by weathering and
various places in a stream. Diagram I shows the erosion.
different water velocities across the surface.
Diagram II shows the different water velocities at
various depths.
At which location in the stream is the water

velocity greatest?
Which agent of erosion most likely carried
A) at the center along the bottom sediment that scratched and polished this bedrock
B) at the center near the surface surface?
C) at the sides along the bottom
A) a moving glacier B) running water
D) at the sides near the surface
C) wave action D) wind
204. The diagram below shows a post set in the 205. The topographic map below shows three drumlins
streambed of a river. The river levels between May located in New York State.
5 and May 10 were recorded on the post by an
observer at noon each day.
Which graph shows the probable stream current

velocity that occurred during this same time
period?
A)
B)
What was the direction of the advancing ice

movement that created these drumlins, and what is
the most likely arrangement of sediments in the
drumlins?
C)
A) north to south ice movement, and unsorted
sediments
B) north to south ice movement, and sorted
sediments
C) south to north ice movement, and unsorted
D) sediments
D) south to north ice movement, and sorted
sediments
206. The photograph below shows both erosional and depositional features formed by an agent of
erosion.
Which agent of erosion produced the features shown in the photograph?

C) ocean waves D) prevailing wind
207. The photograph below shows scratched and 208. The photography below shows a sandstone butte in
grooved bedrock with boulders on its surface. an arid region.
The scratches and grooves were most likely created Which agents of erosion are currently changing the
when appearance of this butte?
A) alternating thawing and freezing of water A) glaciers and mass movement
cracked the bedrock B) wave action and running water
B) flooding from a nearby lake covered the C) wind and mass movement
bedrock
D) running water and glacier
C) a glacier dragged rocks over the bedrock
D) rocks from a landslide slid along the bedrock
Base your answers to questions 209 through 211 on the diagram below, which shows the edge of a
continental glacier that is receding. R indicates elongated hills. The ridge of sediments from X to Y
represents a landscape feature.
209. The ridge of sediments from X to Y can best be described as

A) sorted and deposited by ice B) sorted and deposited by meltwater
C) unsorted and deposited by ice D) unsorted and deposited by meltwater
210. Which feature will most likely form when the partially buried ice block melts?
A) drumlin B) moraine C) kettle lake D) finger lake
211. The elongated hills labeled R are most useful in determining the
A) age of the glacier B) direction the glacier has moved
C) thickness of the glacier D) rate at which the glacier is melting
Base your answers to questions 212 and 213 on the contour map below, which shows a hill formed by
glacial deposition near Rochester, New York. Letters A through E are reference points. Elevations are
in feet.
212. Which set of characteristics most likely describes the sediment in this glacial deposit?
A) sorted and layered B) sorted and not layered
C) unsorted and not layered D) unsorted and layered
213. This glacial deposit is best identified as
A) a V-shaped valley B) a sand dune
C) a drumlin D) an outwash plain
214. The photograph below shows a valley. 215. The photograph below shows farm buildings
partially buried in silt.
Which agent of erosion most likely produced this

valley's shape?
Which erosional agent most likely piled the silt
A) blowing wind B) ocean waves
against these buildings?
C) moving ice D) running water
A) glacial ice B) ocean waves
C) wind D) mass movement
216. The cross section below shows layers of sediments 218. The photograph below shows a large boulder of
deposited in a region of Wisconsin that has metamorphic rock in a field in the Allegheny
experienced several periods of glaciation. Plateau region of New York State.
Descriptions of the sediments in layers A through F
are included.
The boulder was most likely moved to this location

by
A) glacial ice B) prevailing wind
C) streamfiow D) volcanic action
219. The photograph below shows a sand dune that
formed in a coastal area.
Which two layers of sediments were probably

deposited directly by glaciers?
A) A and D B) B and F
C) C and E D) D and E
217. The photograph below shows a valley.
This sand dune was most likely formed by
A) water flowing from the left
B) water flowing from the right
C) wind blowing from the left
D) wind blowing from the right
220. Which statement provides the best evidence that
New York State’s Finger Lakes formed as a result
of continental glaciation?
A) The lake surfaces are above sea level.
B) The lakes fill long, narrow U-shaped valleys.
Which agent of erosion most likely produced this
valley's shape? C) The lakes are partially filled with sorted beds
of sediment.
A) wave action B) moving ice D) The lakes are surrounded by sharp, jagged
C) blowing wind D) flowing water peaks and ridges.
Base your answers to questions 221 through 223 on the map of Long Island, New York. AB, CD, EF
and GH are reference lines on the map.
221. A major difference between sediments in the outwash and sediments in the moraines is that the
sediments deposited in the outwash are
A) larger B) sorted C) more angular D) older
222. The cross section below represents the sediments beneath the land surface along one of the reference
lines shown on the map.
Along which reference line was the cross section taken?

A) AB B) CD C) EF D) GH
223. Which agent of erosion transported the sediments that formed the moraines shown on the map?
A) water B) wind
C) ice D) mass movement
224. Which condition causes glaciers to retreat? 225. Which New York State resources are a direct result
of the glaciers that once covered most of the State?
A) They encounter the ocean.
B) The crust beneath them is uplifted. A) sand and gravel
C) Earth’s average temperature decreases. B) halite and gypsum
D) Their rate of melting exceeds their rate of C) magnetite and calcite
advancing. D) limestone and marble
226. The cross sections below show a three-stage sequence in the development of a glacial feature.
Which glacial feature has formed by the end of stage 3?

A) kettle lake B) finger lake
C) drumlin D) parallel scratches
227. The picture below shows a geological feature in the 229. Base your answer on the block diagram below,
Kalahari Desert of southwestern Africa. which shows some of the landscape features
formed as the most recent continental glacier
melted and retreated across western New York
State.
Which process most likely produced the present

appearance of this feature?
The shape of elongated hills labeled drumlins is
A) wind erosion most useful in determining the
B) volcanic eruption
A) age of the glacier
C) earthquake vibrations
B) direction of glacial movement
D) plate tectonics
C) thickness of the glacial ice
228. At the present time, glaciers occur mostly in areas D) rate of glacial movement
of
230. The bedrock at a certain location is deeply
A) high latitude or high altitude scratched, and in some places is covered by a layer
B) low latitude or low altitude of unsorted sediment. Which erosional agent was
C) middle latitude and high altitude probably responsible for these features?
D) middle latitude and low altitude
A) ocean waves B) running water
C) wind D) glaciers
231. Which graph best represents the range of particle sizes that can be carried by a glacier?
A) B)
C) D)
232. Which geologic evidence best supports the 233. Which diagram best represents a cross section of
inference that a continental ice sheet once covered the sediment deposited directly by a glacier?
most of New York State?
A) B)
A) polished and smooth pebbles; meandering
rivers; V-shaped valleys
B) scratched and polished bedrock; unsorted
gravel
deposits; transported boulders
C) D)
C) sand and silt beaches; giant swamps; marine
fossils found on mountaintops
D) basaltic bedrock; folded, faulted, and tilted
rock structures; lava flows
234. The diagram below shows trends in the temperature 236. The diagram below shows rock material being
of North America during the last 200,000 years, as transported by a mountain glacier.
estimated by scientists.
What is the total number of major glacial periods

that have occurred in North America in the last
200,000 years?
A) 5 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
235. The diagram below shows a glacial landscape.
The moraine deposits left when this glacier melts
will generally be
A) sorted by size and layered
B) sorted by size and unlayered
C) unsorted by size and layered
D) unsorted by size and unlayered
237. The diagram below represents a landscape area.
Which evidence suggests that ice created this

landscape?
A) U-shaped valleys
B) many stream valleys
C) sorted sediment on the valley floor The labeled surface features of this landscape area
D) the landslide near the valley resulted mainly from
A) wind erosion B) wave erosion
C) stream erosion D) glacial erosion
238. Base your answer to the following question on the map below, which shows a portion of a drumlin
field. Elevations are in feet.
These drumlins are composed of sediments transported and deposited directly by glacial ice. These
sediments are likely to be
A) well-rounded, sand-sized particles
B) well sorted in horizontal layers
C) unsorted and not in layers
D) found underwater, mixed with organic materials
239. Shaded areas on the diagrams below show the part 240. The diagram below shows a hand-sized rock
of New York State that was covered by glacial ice sample with parallel sets of grooves. This rock
during the last ice age. sample was found in a gravel bank in central
Vermont.
The best inference that can be made from these The grooves were most likely caused by
diagrams is that this glacial ice A) stream erosion B) wind erosion
A) was about 1 mile thick at New York City C) a landslide D) glacial erosion
B) advanced and retreated more than once 241. Many elongated hills, each having a long axis with
C) moved more slowly than the glaciers of earlier a mostly north-south direction, are found scattered
ice ages across New York State. These hills contain
D) changed the shape of Lake Ontario unsorted soils, pebbles, and boulders. Which
process most likely formed these hills?
A) stream deposition B) wind deposition
C) wave deposition D) glacial deposition
242. Base your answer to the following question on

the map below. The isolines on the map show the increases in elevation that have occurred since the
end of the ice age in this part of North America. A and B are two points on isolines. Several towns
within the area are indicated.
U-shaped valleys, grooved and polished bedrock, and hills of mixed-sized sediments cover most of
this area. These features and the crustal uplift that occurred were most likely caused by the
A) erosion and deposition of stream sediments
B) increase and decrease in the amount of water in Hudson Bay
C) blowing and settling of large amounts of soil across Canada
D) movement and melting of large continental ice sheets
Base your answers to questions 243 through 246 on the map below. Arrows on the map show the
location and orientation of glacial striations on the surface bedrock. Dark shading shows the location
of large moraines (glacial deposits).
243. Observations of which feature would be most useful in determining the thickness of the ice sheet?
A) grooved bedrock near the top of Bear Mountain
B) glacial soils in southern Connecticut
C) glacial boulders at the bottom of Long Island Sound
D) scratches on loose rock at the mouth of the Hudson River
244. The moraines are recognized as glacial deposits because they are composed of rock materials that
are
A) uniform in size and layered B) uniform in size and not layered
C) many different sizes and layered D) many different sizes and not layered
245. How were the striations made?
A) Frost action cracked the bedrock during the ice age.
B) Rocks at the bottom of the glaciers were dragged over the bedrock.
C) Particles carried by winds scratched the bedrock during the ice age.
D) Particles carried by glacial meltwater eroded the bedrock.
246. The striations indicate that the movement of glacial ice was toward the
A) northeast and northwest B) northeast and southwest
C) southeast and northwest D) southeast and southwest
247. Which is the best evidence that more than one 248. Which agent of erosion is mainly responsible for
glacial advance occurred in a region? the formation of the depressions occupied by both
the kettle lakes and finger lakes found in New York
A) ancient forests covered by glacial deposits
State?
B) river valleys buried deeply in glacial deposits
C) scratches in bedrock that is buried by glacial A) wind B) waves
deposits C) streams D) glaciers
D) glacial deposits that overlay soils formed from
glacial deposits
Base your answers to questions 249 and 250 on the three maps below, which show the ice movement
and changes at the ice front of an alpine glacier from the years 1874 to 1882. Points A, B. C, D, and E
represent the positions of large markers placed on the glacial ice and left there for a period of eight
years.
249. Which statement best describes the changes happening to this glacier between 1874 and 1882?
A) The ice front was advancing, and the ice within the glacier was advancing.
B) The ice front was advancing, and the ice within the glacier was retreating.
C) The ice front was retreating, and the ice within the glacier was advancing.
D) The ice front was retreating, and the ice within the glacier was retreating.
250. The changing positions of markers A, B. C, D, and E show that the glacial ice is
A) slowly becoming thicker B) forming smaller crystals
C) gradually shifting northward D) moving fastest near the middle
251. The diagram below represents a side view of a hill 252. The diagram below represents the cross section of a
(drumlin) that was deposited by a glacier on the soil deposit from a hill in central New York State.
Atlantic coast.
The deposition was most likely caused by

This hill is most likely composed of
A) a glacier
A) cemented sediments B) a wind storm
B) unsorted sediments C) a stream entering a lake
C) vertically layered sediments D) wave action along a beach
D) horizontally layered sediments
Base your answers to questions 253 through 256 on 256. The velocity of the ice movement is primarily
the diagram which represents a profile of a mountain controlled by the
glacier in the northern United States.
A) slope of the bedrock surface
B) amount of sediment at the terminal moraine
C) length of the glacier
D) size of the sediment transported by the glacier
257. Wooden stakes were placed on a glacier in a

straight line as represented by A–A' in the diagram
below. The same stakes were observed later in the
positions represented by B–B'.
253. The downhill movement of mountain glaciers such

as the one shown in the diagram is primarily caused
by
A) evaporation of ice directly from the glacier
B) snow blowing across the top of the glacier
C) the force of gravity pulling on the glacier
D) water flowing over the glacier
The pattern of movement of the stakes provides
254. Which cross section best represents the sediment
evidence that
that was transported and deposited by this glacier?
A) glacial ice does not move
A) B)
B) glacial ice is melting faster than it accumulates
C) the glacier is moving faster in the center than
on the sides
D) friction is less along the sides of the glacier
C) D) than in the center
258. The diagram below represents a landscape area.
255. Over a period of years, this glacier gains more

snow mass than it loses. What will be the most
likely result of this gain?
A) The glacier will decrease in size, and the ice
front will retreat.
B) The glacier will decrease in size, and the ice
front will advance.
C) The glacier will increase in size, and the ice Which process is primarily responsible for the
front will retreat. shape of the surface shown in the diagram?
D) The glacier will increase in size, and the ice
front will advance. A) crustal subsidence B) wave action
C) glacial action D) stream erosion
259. The diagram below represents the surface 261. The diagram below represents a section of the
topography of a mountain valley. Earth's crust.
This surface landscape was most likely caused by

A) folding of the crust
B) sinking of rock layers
Which agent of erosion most likely created the C) erosion by valley glaciers
shape of the valley shown in the diagram? D) deposition of stream sediments
A) wind B) glaciers 262. The diagram below represents a stream valley.
C) ocean waves D) running water Which diagram below best shows how this valley
might be modified after a glacier has moved
260. Which diagram best illustrates a cross section of
through it?
sediments that were transported and deposited by a
glacier?
A)
A) B)
B)
C) D)
C)
263. The diagram below shows a cross section of soil
from the east coast containing pebbles, sand and
clay.
D)
The soil was most likely deposited by

A) an ocean current B) the wind
C) a river D) a glacier
264. The photograph below shows both erosional and depositional features formed by an agent of
erosion.
Which agent of erosion produced the features shown in the photograph?

C) ocean waves D) prevailing wind
265. In what way is a pebble probably changing as it is 268. The diagram below shows sand particles being
carried by a mountain stream? moved by wind.
A) Its density is decreasing.
B) Its mass is decreasing.
C) Its particle size is increasing.
D) Its hardness is increasing.
266. Based on the diagrams of rock fragments below,
which shows the least evidence of erosion?
At which Earth surface locations is this process
A) B) usually the most dominant type of erosion?
A) deserts and beaches
B) deltas and floodplains
C) glaciers and moraines
C) D) D) mountain peaks and escarpments
269. Long, sandy islands are composed mostly of sand
and rounded pebbles arranged in sorted layers.
Which agent of erosion most likely shaped and
sorted the sand and pebbles while transporting
267. Which natural agent of erosion is mainly them to their island location?
responsible for the formation of the barrier islands A) glaciers B) landslides
along the southern coast of Long Island, New C) wind D) ocean waves
York?
A) mass movement B) running water
C) prevailing winds D) ocean waves
Base your answers to questions 270 through 272 on the cross section below, which represents a
glacier moving down a mountain valley. The water from the melting glacier is flowing into a lake.
Letter A represents a location on the bottom of the lake.
270. Sediments found at location A range in diameter from 0.0004 to 0.006 centimeter. What name is
given to this size sediment?
271. After the glacier melts, what evidence might be found on the surface of the bedrock indicating that
the glacier had passed over the surface?
272. Describe the most likely shape of a cross section of the glacial valley as viewed from the lake.
273. Complete the table above, by listing three agents of erosion and identifying one characteristic
surface feature formed by each agent of erosion.
274. The topographic map below shows two hills 275. The diagram below represents a geologic cross
located in upstate New York. section.
Which statement best explains why the

conglomerate appears to be the most weathered
bedrock?
A) The conglomerate particles are large.
B) The conglomerate is composed of quartz
cobbles and pebbles.
C) The conglomerate underlies a steeper-sloped
surface.
D) The conglomerate has been exposed to
weathering the longest.
Which agent of erosion is most responsible for the
shape of these hills?
A) wind B) gravity
C) waves D) glaciers
Base your answers to questions 276 and 277 on the map and cross sections below. The map shows
measured changes in the position of Niagara Falls since 1678. The cross sections show the two parts
of Niagara Falls: Horseshoe Falls and American Falls. Letters A through D represent the same rock
layers at both locations.
276. Which rock layer shows the most resistance to weathering and erosion at Horseshoe Falls?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
277. Which statement best explains why Horseshoe Falls has eroded back more than American Falls
since 1842?
A) Dolostone is the top rock layer at Horseshoe Falls.
B) Dolostone is the top rock layer at American Falls.
C) More water flows over Horseshoe Falls.
D) More water flows over American Falls.
278. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below. The arrows show the direction in
which sediment is being transported along the shoreline. A barrier beach has formed, creating a
lagoon (a shallow body of water in which sediments are being deposited). The eroded headlands are
composed of diorite bedrock. A groin has recently been constructed. Groins are wall-like structures
built into the water perpendicular to the shoreline to trap beach sand.
The groin structure will change the pattern of deposition along the shoreline, initially causing the
beach to become
A) wider on the western side of the groin B) wider on the eastern side of the groin
C) narrower on both sides of the groin D) wider on both sides of the groin
279. Base your answers to the following questions on the notes below written by a student during a field
trip.
It is cool in the shade, and the rock cliff above us still has some ice on it from winter. The
rocks we are sitting on have sharp edges. Rock fragments at the bottom of the cliff are the same
color as the cliff. Our teacher warned us to watch out for falling rocks.
Explain how ice in cracks on the cliff at location C may have helped cause weathering of the
bedrock on the face of the cliff.
280. The map below shows the large delta that formed 282. The map below shows some features along an
as the Mississippi River emptied into the Gulf of ocean shoreline.
Mexico.
In which general direction is the sand being moved

along this shoreline by ocean (long–shore)
currents?
Which process was primarily responsible for the
formation of the delta? A) northeast B) southeast
A) glacial erosion C) northwest D) southwest
B) cementation of sediment 283. The diagrams below represent landscape features
C) deposition of sediment found along the seacoast. The arrows show
D) mass movement ocean-wave direction. Which shoreline has been
shaped more by deposition than by erosion?
281. The map below shows barrier islands in the ocean
along the coast of Texas. A)
B)
C)
D)
Which agent of erosion most likely formed these

barrier islands?
A) mass movement B) wave action
C) streams D) glaciers
284. The map below shows Rockaway Peninsula, part of Long Island's south shore, and the location of
several stone barriers, A, B, C, and D, that were built to trap sand being transported along the coast
by wave action.
On which map do the arrows best show the direction of wave movement that created the beaches in
this area?
A) B)
C) D)
Base your answers to questions 285 and 286 on the information below.
A mountain is a landform with steeply sloping sides whose peak is usually thousands of feet
higher than its base. Mountains often contain a great deal of nonsedimentary rock and have
distorted rock structures caused by faulting and folding of the crust.
A plateau is a broad, level area at a high elevation. It usually has an undistorted, horizontal
rock structure. A plateau may have steep slopes as a result of erosion.
285. State the approximate age of the surface bedrock of the Catskills.
286. State the agent of erosion that is most likely responsible for shaping the Catskill Plateau so that it
physically resembles a mountainous region.
Base your answers to questions 287 through 290 on 290. What is the most common cause of the approaching
the diagram below, which shows ocean waves waves?
approaching a shoreline. A groin (a short wall of
A) underwater earthquakes
rocks perpendicular to the shoreline) and a
B) variations in ocean-water density
breakwater (an offshore structure) have been
constructed alone the beach. Letters A, B, C, D, and C) the gravitational effect of the Moon
E represent locations in the area. D) winds at the ocean surface
287. The size of the bulge in the beach at position D will

A) decrease B) increase
C) remain the same
288. At which location will the beach first begin to
widen due to sand deposition?
A) A B) B C) C D) E
289. This shoreline is located along the east coast of
North America. Which ocean current would
most likely modify the climate of this shoreline?
A) Florida Current
B) Canaries Current
C) Brazil Current
D) California Current
Base your answers to questions 291 through 294 on the passage and map below and on your
knowledge of Earth science. The map shows a portion of the Dust Bowl in the southern Great Plains.
The Dust Bowl
In the 1930s, several years of drought affected over 100 million acres in the Great Plains from
North Dakota to Texas. For several decades before this drought, farmers had plowed the prairie
and loosened the soil. When the soil became extremely dry from lack of rain, strong prairie winds
easily removed huge amounts of soil from the farms, forming dust storms. This region was called
the Dust Bowl.
In the spring of 1934, a windstorm lasting a day and a half created a dust cloud nearly 2000
kilometers long and caused "muddy rains" in New York State and "black snow" in Vermont.
Months later, a Colorado storm carried dust approximately 3 kilometers up into the atmosphere
and transported it 3000 kilometers, creating twilight conditions at midday in New York State.
291. Explain why the dust clouds that moved to the east coast of the United States during the 1934 storm
were composed mostly of silt and clay particles instead of sand.
292. Identify the name of the layer of the atmosphere in which the dust particles were transported by the
Colorado storm to New York State.
293. Describe one change in the appearance of the sand particles that were abraded when transported by
winds within the Dust Bowl region.
294. Identify one human activity that was a major cause of the huge dust storms that formed in the Great
Plains during the 1930s.

the map below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The map shows a retreating valley glacier
and the features that have formed because of the advance and retreat of the glacier.
295. Explain why the glacial ice absorbs less solar radiation than the surrounding exposed bedrock and
soil.
296. Describe the most likely shape of the valley being formed due to erosion by this glacier.
297. Describe one difference between the arrangement of sediment in the moraines and the arrangement
of sediment in the outwash plain.
298. Describe one piece of evidence likely to be found on the exposed bedrock surfaces that could
indicate the direction this glacier moved.
Base your answers to questions 299 through 302 on the diagram below, which shows several different
landscape features. Points X and Y indicate locations on the streambank.
299. The beach consists of particles with diameters from 0.01 cm to 0.1 cm. Identify the sedimentary
rock that will form when burial and cementation of these sediments occur.
300. Explain why the stream meanders on the floodplain, but not in the mountains.
301. Identify which point, X or Y, has more stream erosion and explain why the amounts of erosion are
different.
302. Explain why the upper valley in the mountains is U-shaped and the lower valley is V-shaped.
303. Base your answer to the next question on the notes below written by a student during a field trip.
Good view from this hilltop; chilly and windy. We rested to catch our breath, then collected
samples. Rocks are visible everywhere. There are boulders, cobbles, and pebbles of many sizes
and shapes mixed together. These surface rock fragments are composed of metamorphic rock
sitting on the limestone bedrock. The teacher showed us parallel scratches in the bedrock. I saw
almost no soil.
a State the agent of erosion that deposited most of the sediment found.
b State one observation recorded by the student that supports this conclusion.
Base your answers to questions 304 through 306 on the topographic map below, which shows three
glaciers found in Alaska. Dashed lines show the inferred location of the front edge of each glacier in
1948, 1964, and 1980. Solid lines show the location of the front edge of each glacier in 1998. Points A
and B show the location of the front edge of the Taku Glacier in 1948 and 1998. Elevations are in feet.
304. If these glaciers completely melted, what two pieces of evidence would a scientist most likely find
to indicate that glaciers had existed in this area?
305. What is the contour interval on this map?
306. Determine the rate, in miles per year, that the front edge of the Taku Glacier moved between point A
and point B.
Base your answers to questions 307 through 311 on passage and map below. The map shows a
portion of the continent of Antarctica.
Antarctica's Ice Sheet
The size and shape of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet depends on many factors, including melting
and freezing beneath the glacier, the amount of snowfall, snow removal by wind, iceberg
formation, and the rate of ice flow. Glacial moraines are found in the Executive Committee
Mountains shown on the map. Moraines are located up to 100 meters in elevation above the
present ice sheet surface, which indicates that a thicker ice sheet existed 20,000 years ago.
The world's oceans and climate are influenced by Antarctica's ice. Even a small increase in sea
level from melting glaciers would be a disaster for the nearly two billion people who live near
coastal areas.
307. Identify one change that would cause a decrease in the size of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
308. Describe the arrangement of sediment found in a glacial moraine.
309. State the latitude and longitude of Byrd Station. Your answer must include both the units and the
compass directions.
310. What is the duration of insolation on December 21 at McMurdo Station?
311. Identify one piece of evidence found on the sides of some Antarctic mountains that indicates that an
ice sheet, hundreds of meters thicker than the current ice sheet,existed in the past.
Base your answers to questions 312 through 314 on the block diagram below, which shows the
landscape features of an area of Earth's crust. Two sedimentary rock layers, A and B, are labeled in
the diagram. The rock symbol for layer B has been omitted.
312. The graph below shows the particle sizes that compose the clastic sedimentary rock in layer B.
In the area below, draw the map symbol that represents rock layer B.
313. Describe how the caverns formed in rock layer A.
314. Identify the most abundant mineral in rock layer A.

Base your answers to questions 315 through 319 on the map below, which shows a meandering
stream as it enters a lake. Points A through D represent locations in the stream.
315. Deposition is affected by particle density. On the grid below, draw a line to show the relationship
between particle density and settling rate.
316. The stream velocity at point C is 100 centimeters per second and the stream velocity at point D is 40
centimeters per second. Identify one sediment particle most likely being deposited between points C
and D.
317. Describe how the size and shape of most pebbles change when the pebbles are transported in a
stream over a great distance.
318. State the relationship between stream velocity and the size of the sediment the stream can carry.
319. In the box below, draw a cross-sectional view of the general shape of the stream bottom between
points A and B. The water surface line has already been drawn.
320. Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below, which represents a part of
Texas where weakly cemented sandstone is exposed at the surface. The mineral cement holding the
sandstone grains together is calcite. Area X is a circular depression of loose sand that has been
partially removed by prevailing winds. Sand dunes have developed downwind from depression X.
The cross section above (Late Pleistocene, Wetter Climate) shows this same area of Texas near the
end of the last ice age when this area had a much wetter climate. More infiltration of rainwater was
occurring at area X. Scientists infer that depression X was an area where slightly acidic rainwater
collected and infiltrated into the sandstone.
Describe the effect that the slightly acidic infiltrating water had on the calcite cement holding the
sandstone together.
Base your answers to questions 321 through 323 on the information, diagram, and data table below.
A student used water, a trough, a timer, a Ping-Pong ball, and a metric ruler to investigate waterflow.
The trough was set at different angles to compile the data in the data table provided below.
321. Based on the data and the values you calculated for average stream velocity, state an appropriate
conclusion to this investigation.
322. State the purpose of the student's investigation.
323. Calculate the average velocity of the water flowing down the trough in each position, A, B, C, and D
. Record your answers in the data table provided above. Express your answers to the nearest tenth.
Base your answers to questions 324 through 326 on the diagram below, which shows igneous rock
that has undergone mainly physical weathering into sand and mainly chemical weathering into clay.
324. If the igneous rock is a layer of vesicular andesite, identify three types of mineral grains that could
be found in the sand.
325. Describe the change in temperature and moisture conditions that would cause an increase in the rate
of chemical weathering into clay.
326. Compare the particle size of the physically weathered fragments to the particle size of the
chemically weathered fragments.
327. Base your answer to the following question on the cartoon below which shows characters building a
sand castle on an ocean beach.
State one reason other than human activity that the sand castle will not exist a thousand years from
now.
328. Base your answer to the next question on the notes below written by a student during a field trip.
It is rocky and the streambank is steep. Where we are standing, we can see a waterfall and rapids. It
is cool by the water. From the streambed we collected pebbles and cobbles - some red, some white,
others a mixture of many colors. The streambed is full of rocks of all sizes. The teacher warned us
to be careful of the strong stream current.
Some samples of sediment collected from the streambed are shown below.
Explain why these samples are smooth and have rounded shapes.
Base your answers to questions 329 through 332 on the diagram and the stream data table below.
The diagram represents a stream flowing into a lake. Arrows show the direction of flow. Point P is a
location in the stream. Line XY is a reference line across the stream. Points X and Y are locations on
the banks. The data table gives the depth of water in the stream along line XY.
329. At point P, the water velocity is 100 centimeters per second. State the name of the largest sediment
that can be transported by the stream at point P.
330. State why the depth of water near the bank at point X is different from the depth of water near the
bank at point Y.
331. Use the information in the data table to construct a profile of the depth of water. Using the grid and
directions below.
Plot the data for the depth of water in the stream along line XY and connect the points. (Distance is
measured from point X.)
332. Use the information in the data table to construct a profile of the depth of water. Using the grid and
directions below.
On the vertical axis, mark an appropriate scale for the depth of water. Note that the zero (0) at the
top of the axis represents the water surface.
Answer Key
1. C 37. A 73. D 105. A

2. D 38. D 74. D 106. D
3. D 39. D 75. A 107. C
4. C 40. D 76. B 108. B
5. C 41. A 77. B 109. B
6. A 42. D 78. C 110. C
7. B 43. D 79. A 111. D
8. D 44. A 80. B 112. A
9. B 45. A 81. D 113. D
10. D 46. B 82. B 114. B
11. A 47. B 83. D 115. D
12. A 48. D 84. C 116. A
13. B 49. C 85. C 117. D
14. B 50. C 86. B 118. C
15. B 51. C 87. C 119. B
16. B 52. A 88. 120. A
17. D 53. D 121. C
18. D 54. C 122. D
19. D 55. A 123. A
20. D 56. C 124. A
89. D
21. A 57. C 125. D
90. C
22. D 58. D 126. D
91. A
23. D 59. C 127. B
92. A
24. A 60. B 128. C
93. A
25. A 61. D 129. A
94. D
26. C 62. B 130. D
95. C
27. D 63. D 131. A
96. B
28. B 64. D 132. C
97. A
29. B 65. C 133. D
98. B
30. B 66. D 134. B
99. C
31. D 67. C 135. C
100. D
32. A 68. B 136. D
101. D
33. C 69. B 137. D
102. C
34. A 70. B 138. D
103. D
35. D 71. D 139. D
104. D
36. C 72. D 140. A
Answer Key
141. B 177. A 213. C 249. C

142. D 178. C 214. C 250. D
143. D 179. A 215. C 251. B
144. D 180. A 216. B 252. A
145. D 181. B 217. B 253. C
146. C 182. B 218. A 254. D
147. C 183. B 219. D 255. D
148. D 184. A 220. B 256. A
149. A 185. C 221. B 257. C
150. C 186. B 222. C 258. C
151. A 187. A 223. C 259. B
152. B 188. C 224. D 260. D
153. B 189. C 225. A 261. C
154. A 190. D 226. A 262. D
155. B 191. A 227. A 263. D
156. A 192. B 228. A 264. B
157. B 193. C 229. B 265. B
158. D 194. B 230. D 266. D
159. D 195. C 231. C 267. D
160. C 196. D 232. B 268. A
161. A 197. A 233. D 269. D
162. D 198. D 234. B 270. Silt
163. B 199. D 235. A 271. — parallel
164. C 200. A 236. D scratches/groo-
ves/striations —
165. A 201. B 237. D Surface bedrock is
166. D 202. B 238. C polished. — moraine
deposits
167. C 203. A 239. B
272. — U-shaped valley
168. D 204. D 240. D
— The valley would
169. B 205. A 241. D have a rounded or
170. B 206. B 242. D flat bottom. — steep
sides and wide
171. D 207. C 243. A valley
172. B 208. C 244. D 273.
173. D 209. C 245. B
174. C 210. C 246. D
175. B 211. B 247. D 274. D
176. D 212. C 248. D 275. D
Answer Key
276. A 293. – They became more 298. –scratch- 303. a glaciers or ice; b –
277. C rounded. – They es/striations on the Unsorted sediments
became smaller in bedrock surface are different from
278. B size/thinner/finer. – –grooves in bedrock the bedrock. –
279. examples: – When The outside surface –a boulder parallel scratches in
liquid water freezes, became scratched/fr- transported from a the bedrock
it expands and osted/pitted. – Sand more northerly 304. Examples: —
breaks off pieces of grains become outcrop on the U-shaped valleys in
rock. – frost action smoother. bedrock –an erratic the area — parallel
294. – plowing large –drumlin scratches in the
280. C
areas of the plains, – 299. Sandstone bedrock — unsorted
281. B
poor farming 300. — The stream began sediment deposits —
282. B practices, – Farmers moraines —
to flow over a nearly
283. B loosened the soil. – flat landscape. — drumlins
Farmers removed Stream velocity 305. 1000 ft.
284. A vegetation that had decreased. —
285. examples: The help the soil in 306. any value from
Gradient decreases 0.035 to 0.045 mi/yr
Devonian Age or place/deforested the from the mountains
360 - 408 Million land. – farming. to the floodplain. — 307. Examples: — snow
years. removal by wind —
295. –The ice is The stream flows
286. Running water, white/light colored. more slowly on the decreased rate of ice
streams, rivers or –The smooth ice floodplain.— The flow — increased
glaciers are all reflects better than floodplain is melting — global
acceptable answers. rougher land terrain. composed of loose warming — iceberg
–The bedrock/soil is sediment. formation —
287. B
darker colored. decreased snowfall
288. B 301. — Point X is on the
–Snow and ice outside of a meander 308. Examples: —
289. A reflect more curve. — Stream unsorted — mixed
insolation. –has a velocity is greater at — not in layers
290. D
higher albedo point X. — More
291. – The velocity of the 309. Latitude: 80° S
296. –The valley would deposition occurs at Longitude: 120° W
wind could carry
have a U-shaped Y.
only small/less 310. 24 hours
appearance. –flat 302. U-shaped: — It was
dense/flatter
bottom and steep 311. Examples: —
particles. – Sand is eroded by glaciers.
sides –rounded moraines —
heavier and not — A glacier formed
shape grooved bedrock —
likely to be carried the valley. —
scratched bedrock
that far. – The 297. Moraines: –unsorted formed by glacial ice
— polished bedrock
velocity of the wing sediments/mixed
— U-shaped valleys
was not great particles –unlayered V-shaped: —
enough to carry sand Outwash plain: Running water cut 312.
particles. – Smaller –sorted deposits the V-shaped valley.
particles are eroded –layered sediments — A stream formed
more easily. – Silt the valley.
and clay are
smaller-sized
particles.
292. – troposphere
Answer Key
313. Examples: — 320. The calcite cement 327. Examples: The

Limestone reacts would be chemically approaching rain
with acids in weathered and will damage the
groundwater. — removed by castle or the tides
Acids in water cause infiltrating water. – and waves will wash
limestone to It would be it away.
dissolve. — dissolved. – It will 328. examples: – Rocks
Chemical bubble. were abraded by
weathering of 321. As the slope of the tumbling. –
limestone — Water streambed increases, Sediments rolled
flowing through stream velocity along the streambed.
cracks removes increases.
limestone. 329. a pebble
322. – to determine the 330. Stream water moves
314. Examples: – calcite relationship between
– CaCO3 faster on the outside
stream velocity and of the curve.
315. the slope of a Deposition is
streambed greatest on the
323. Trough A = .3 or inside of the curve.
0.3, Trough B = .4 331.
or 0.4, Trough C =
.6 or 0.6, Trough D
= .7 or 0.7
324. plagioclase feldspar
316. pebbles or sand – biotite –
317. - Size: The pebbles amphibole – quartz
become smaller. - or pyroxene
Shape: The pebbles 332.
325. – Moisture and
become rounder. temperature should
318. Examples: – a direct both increase.
relationship – As the 326. – The physically
stream velocity weathered sediments
increases, the stream are larger in particle
can carry bigger size than the
sediment. chemically
319. weathered particles.
– The sand
fragments are larger
than clay fragments.
– The sand
fragments range
from 0.006 cm to
0.2 cm in diameter
and the clay
fragments are less
than 0.0004 cm in
diameter.

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WEATHERING AND EROSION MEGA PACKET

3. Which characteristic would most likely remain

The action of the root splitting the bedrock is an

Base your answers to questions 30 through 33 on

30. Which property of the gneiss sample prevented it from weathering?

33. Which Earth process is being modeled in this experiment?

34. Which weathering process is most common in a hot, dry environment?

39. The diagram below represents a naturally occurring geologic process.

Which process is best illustrated by the diagram?

Which rock layers appear to be most resistant to weathering?

Which statement best describes the cause of the

Old Man's Loss Felt in New Hampshire

FRANCONIA, N.H. — Crowds of visitors were drawn to Franconia Notch on Sunday to

The sedimentary rock layers are being weathered

How did the arch most likely form?

Which rock type appears to have weathered and

Which rock layer is probably the most resistant to

Which statement best explains why the soil is

A) Mineral B was shaken harder.

69. Which formations appear to be the most resistant to weathering?

80. In the diagram below, sample X and sample Y

A) Rocks A and C are made of larger particles

If subjected to the same environmental conditions,

The soil shown in time 2 was formed mainly by

Which soil horizon contains the greatest amount of

91. Which factor has the most influence on the A) hillslopes

Base your answers to questions 105 and 106 on

125. Which rock material was most likely transported to

What was the primary force that caused this

Which process is shown in these diagrams?

139. Erosion is most likely greatest at locations

The streambank on the outside of this meander is

Based on the cross section, which map of a

145. What will be the most probable arrangement of

D) crumbling of bedrock in one area to form soil

This glacial landscape feature is best identified as

156. A cross section of Niagara Falls is shown below.

Most sediments found on the floodplain shown in diagram A are likely to be

Which agent of erosion was most likely responsible

A) At points X and Y, only clay is being

Which cross section along line XY best represents

176. Why do most streams in the Northeast have a

Base your answers to questions 177 through 179 on

Which set of cross sections best represents the

At which point is the water most likely to have the

Base your answers to questions 185 through 187 on

Which material is most likely to be transported in

Which graph best shows the relative stream

Which graph best represents stream velocity at locations A through E?

201. The formation of a roche moutonée by glaciers is best described as an example of

At which location in the stream is the water

Which graph shows the probable stream current

What was the direction of the advancing ice

Which agent of erosion produced the features shown in the photograph?

209. The ridge of sediments from X to Y can best be described as

Which agent of erosion most likely produced this

The boulder was most likely moved to this location

Which two layers of sediments were probably

Along which reference line was the cross section taken?

Which glacial feature has formed by the end of stage 3?

Which process most likely produced the present

What is the total number of major glacial periods