Geol 101: Physical Geology
PAST EXAM QUESTIONS
LECTURE 31: DESERTS AND WIND
31. In which of the following regions is wind NOT an important means of erosion, transport and deposition?
A. ice sheets
B. deserts
C. beaches
D. agricultural areas
E. wind is important for these processes in all of these regions
31. Which of the following terms specifically means “having to do with wind”?
A. meteorological process
B. deflation process
C. eolian process
D. thespian process
E. loessian process
31. The process whereby small grains of sediment bounce along the ground driven by the wind is called:
A. surface creep
B. bed load
C. deflation
D. saltation
E. the samba
31. The process of abrasion can cause rocks on the desert floor to develop several polished faces so that they look like big gemstones with facets. These rocks are called:
A. artifacts
B. yardangs
C. blowouts
D. desert pavements
E. ventifacts
31. The correct definition of the eolian feature called a ventifact:
A. a hollowed out region caused by the process of deflation
B. a dry lakebed in a desert that is also called a salt pan
C. a rock fragment abraded by wind to form several polished surfaces, like a gemstone
D. any type of sediment that is transported and deposited by wind
E. an elongate erosional remnant of rock sticking above a desert surface, like an upturned ship hull
31. The correct definition of the eolian feature called a playa:
A. a hollowed out region caused by the process of deflation
B. a dry lakebed in a desert that is also called a salt pan
C. a rock fragment abraded by wind to form several polished surfaces, like a gemstone
D. any type of sediment that is transported and deposited by wind
E. an elongate erosional remnant of rock sticking above a desert surface, like an upturned ship hull
31. The correct definition of the eolian feature called a blowout:
A. a hollowed out region caused by the process of deflation
B. a dry lakebed in a desert that is also called a salt pan
C. a rock fragment abraded by wind to form several polished surfaces, like a gemstone
D. any type of sediment that is transported and deposited by wind
E. an elongate erosional remnant of rock sticking above a desert surface, like an upturned ship hull
31. The correct definition of the eolian feature called loess:
A. a hollowed out region caused by the process of deflation
B. a dry lakebed in a desert that is also called a salt pan
C. a rock fragment abraded by wind to form several polished surfaces, like a gemstone
D. any type of sediment that is transported and deposited by wind
E. an elongate erosional remnant of rock sticking above a desert surface, like an upturned ship hull
31. The correct definition of the eolian feature called a yardang:
A. a hollowed out region caused by the process of deflation
B. a dry lakebed in a desert that is also called a salt pan
C. a rock fragment abraded by wind to form several polished surfaces, like a gemstone
D. any type of sediment that is transported and deposited by wind
E. an elongate erosional remnant of rock sticking above a desert surface, like an upturned ship hull
31. Which of the following features results from the erosional process by wind called deflation?
A. blowouts
B. yardangs
C. ventifacts
D. loess
E. dunes
31. Which of the following features results from deposition by the wind?
A. desert pavement
B. yardang
C. ventifact
D. loess
E. deflation hollow
31. In a sand dune, sand grains saltate up the (1) ______and then cascade down the (2) ______.
A. (1) slip face (2) angle of repose
B. (1) slip face (2) leeward slope
C. (1) leeward slope (2) windward slope
D. (1) windward slope (2) leeward slope
E. (1) leeward slope (2) slip face
31. Cross-beds in sand dunes develop because of sand cascading down the:
A. leeward slope
B. windward slope
C. angle of repose
D. dune face
E. horns
31. What type of sand dune is shaped like a croissant and has horns that point in the direction TOWARDS WHICH the wind blows?
A. barchan
B. longitudinal
C. transverse
D. parabolic
E. star
31. What type of sand dune resembles a sea of sand with “waves” oriented perpendicular to the wind direction?
A. barchan
B. longitudinal
C. transverse
D. parabolic
E. star
31. Which of the following types of sand dunes occurs as long parallel ridges of sand aligned along the prevailing wind direction and which are also called seif dunes?
A. barchan
B. longitudinal
C. transverse
D. parabolic
E. star
31. Which of the following types of sand dunes contains two horns that point in the direction from which the wind is blowing?
A. barchan
B. longitudinal
C. transverse
D. parabolic
E. star
31. The horns of a (1) ______dune point towards the direction the wind blows towards, whereas in a (2) ______dune they point in the direction the wind is blowing from.
A. (1) transverse (2) longitudinal
B. (1) barchan (2) barchanoid
C. (1) barchan (2) parabolic
D. (1) parabolic (2) star
E. (1) parabolic (2) barchan
31. The Great Australian Desert and the Sahara Desert are examples of which desert type?
A. subtropical
B. continental interior
C. rainshadow
D. coastal
E. polar
31. Which of the following locations represent good examples of rainshadow desert regions?
A. Sahara and Great Australian deserts
B. Gobi desert
C. Eastern Oregon, South Idaho and Nevada desert areas
D. Namib and Atacama deserts
E. Antarctica
31. The progression of development for high erosional remnants that stick up above desert areas is:
A. spire – butte - mesa
B. butte – mesa - spire
C. mesa – spire - butte
D. butte – spire - mesa
E. mesa – butte - spire