EARTH SCIENCE Assignment # _____

Name:_____________________________________________Date:__________________Period:_____

Regents Questions

Chapters 4 & 5: Weathering,Erosion,Glaciers

August 2014

7 Which processes are most likely to cause a rise in the water table?

(1) runoff and erosion (3) deposition and burial

(2) precipitation and infiltration (4) solidification and condensation

24 The block diagram below represents a landscape where caverns and sinkholes have gradually developed

over a long period of time.

25 The block diagram below represents a stream flowing from a mountain region. A brief, heavy rainstorm

occurs in the mountains.

How will the volume of water and the rate of erosion in the stream change shortly after the rainstorm?

(1) The volume of water will decrease and the rate of erosion will increase.

(2) The volume of water will increase and the rate of erosion will decrease.

(3) Both the volume of water and the rate of erosion will decrease.

(4) Both the volume of water and the rate of erosion will increase.

Why did these caverns and sinkholes form?

(1) The bedrock chemically reacted with

acidic groundwater.

(2) This type of bedrock contained large

amounts of oxygen and silicon.

(3) Glacial deposits altered the shape of the

bedrock.

(4) Crustal uplift formed gaps in the bedrock.

26 The photograph below shows scratched and polished bedrock produced by weathering and erosion.

34 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?

Base your answers to questions 48 through 50 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth

science. The diagram represents setups of laboratory equipment, labeled A, B, C, and D. This equipment was

used to test the infiltration rate and water retention of four different particle sizes. Each column was filled to

the same level with uniform-sized dry, spherical particles. Water was poured into each column until the water

level rose to the top of the particles. Then, the clamp was opened to allow the water to drain into the beaker

beneath each column.

Which agent of erosion most likely

carried sediment that scratched and

polished this bedrock surface?

(1) a moving glacier

(2) running water

(3) wave action

(4) wind

48 All of the particles in these four columns are classified as

(1) clay (2) silt (3) sand (4) pebbles

49 Which graph best shows the rate of infiltration of water through the particles in these four columns?

50 Which column of particles retained the most water after the clamps were opened and the water was drained

into the beakers?

(1) A (2) B (3) C (4) D

June 2014

21 The block diagram below represents caves that developed in a region over time.

22 Which agent of erosion is most likely responsible for the deposition of sandbars along ocean shorelines?

Which type of weathering was primarily

responsible for the development of these

caves?

(1) physical weathering of sandstone

(2) physical weathering of limestone

(3) chemical weathering of sandstone

(4) chemical weathering of limestone

(1) glaciers (2) mass movement (3) wave action (4) wind action

23 The block diagram below represents the drainage basins of some river systems separated by highland

divides, shown with dashed lines. The arrows show the directions of surface-water flow.

24 Which New York State landscape region is mostly composed of horizontal sedimentary bedrock at

high elevations?

(1) Hudson Highlands (3) Taconic Mountains

(2) Allegheny Plateau (4) Atlantic Coastal Plain

34 The topographic map below shows the largest island of the Hawaiian Islands.

Which map below best shows the most likely stream drainage pattern of this island?

The three areas separated by highland

divides are called

(1) meanders

(2) floodplains

(3) watersheds

(4) tributaries

35 Photographs A and B below show two different valleys.

Which list best identifies the agent of erosion that primarily determined the shape of each valley?

(1) photograph A—glacier; photograph B—river (3) both photographs—river

(2) photograph A—river; photograph B—glacier (4) both photographs—glacier

Base your answers to questions 75 through 78 on the three diagrams below and on your knowledge of Earth

science. The diagrams represent stages in the formation of a large depositional feature formed as a river

deposited sediment over time in the ocean. Letter A represents a location in the ocean.

75 State the name of this large depositional feature forming in the ocean. [1]

76 Describe the arrangement of the sediments deposited where the river enters the ocean. [1]

77 Identify the largest particle diameter of sediment that can be carried by the water current at location A, if

the water has a velocity of 0.05 cm/s. [1]

78 Large amounts of dissolved calcite were carried by the river into the ocean and precipitated onto the ocean

floor. Identify the sedimentary rock composed only of calcite that most likely formed. [1]

January 201 4

17 A group hiking in the Catskill region of New York State finds several large boulders composed of

metamorphic rock. These boulders most likely resulted from the weathering of bedrock formed in the

(1) Catskills, and were transported to their present location by mass movement

(2) Catskills, and were transported to their present location by glaciers

(3) Adirondack Mountains, and were transported to their present location by mass movement

(4) Adirondack Mountains, and were transported to their present location by glaciers

21 During a rainstorm, when soil becomes saturated, the amount of infiltration

(1) decreases and runoff decreases (3) increases and runoff decreases

(2) decreases and runoff increases (4) increases and runoff increases

22 Sediment is deposited as a river enters a lake because the

(1) velocity of the river decreases (3) volume of water increases

(2) force of gravity decreases (4) slope of the river increases

23 Stream drainage patterns that develop in a landscape region are controlled mostly by

(1) bedrock structure (3) nearness to a large body of water

(2) precipitation amounts (4) air temperature variations

33 Which cross section best represents a plateau landscape region?

34 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

(1) compaction and cementing (3) faulting and tilting of rock strata

(2) weathering and biological activity (4) mass movement and deposition of particles

35 The map below shows coastal features of a portion of Long Island, New York. Point A represents a

location on a landscape feature that resulted from wave action and longshore currents.

On which landscape feature is point A located?

(1) moraine (2) delta (3) barrier island (4) floodplain

Base your answers to questions 61 through 63 on the block diagram below and on your knowledge of

Earth science. The diagram represents a meandering stream. Point A represents a location within the

meandering stream. Arrows represent the direction of stream flow.

61 Identify the name of the largest sediment particles that can be transported at point A when the stream’s

velocity is 100 cm/s. [1]

62 Describe the relative changes in the stream velocity and the rate of erosion that will occur after 2 days of

heavy rainfall. [1]

63 Explain why rock particles transported by the stream often become more rounded. [1]

August 2013

8 Sediment samples A through D below have the same volume and packing, but contain different percentages

of various particle sizes.

Sample A: 75% clay and 25% silt

Sample B: 25% clay and 75% sand

Sample C: 50% pebbles and 50% sand

Sample D: 50% pebbles and 50% cobbles

Which sample most likely has the greatest permeability?

(1) A (2) B (3) C (4) D

20 Which two cities are located in the Interior Lowlands?

(1) Elmira and Binghamton (3) Massena and Old Forge

(2) Riverhead and New York City 4) Buffalo and Watertown

21 The large waterfall at Niagara Falls, New York, was originally located at the Niagara Escarpment. Which

term best describes an escarpment?

(1) U-shaped valley (2) V-shaped valley (3) cliff (4) drumlin

22 Trees growing on the edge of a river’s meander are most likely to fall into the river due to

(1) deposition on the inside of the meander (3) erosion on the inside of the meander

(2) deposition on the outside of the meander (4) erosion on the outside of the meander

23 What is the approximate minimum stream velocity needed to keep a 6.4-cm-diameter particle in motion?

(1) 10 cm/s (2) 50 cm/s (3) 100 cm/s (4) 200 cm/s

24 The photograph below shows a sandstone butte in an arid region.

25 Sediment is deposited in a river delta because the

(1) velocity of the river decreases

(2) force of gravity decreases

(3) volume of the river increases

(4) gradient of the river increases

Base your answers to questions 36 through 38 on the passage below and on your knowledge of Earth

science.

Ice Ages

Earth has undergone many ice ages, each lasting millions of years. Some scientists infer that most ice ages

were caused by landmasses blocking the ocean currents between equatorial regions and the poles. Ice ages

usually ended when the positions of continents allowed ocean currents to resume transporting equatorial heat

to the poles. During each ice age there were advances and retreats of glaciers. These cool glacial and warm

interglacial climate intervals were caused mostly by changes in Earth’s orbit and tilt. Earth is present ly in a

warm interglacial interval.

36 Earth’s warm interglacial intervals are due primarily to

(1) changes in Earth’s period of rotation (3) increases in elevation of North America

(2) changes in Earth’s orbit and tilt (4) divergence at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

37 Approximately 359 million years ago, the average intensity of insolation received in a year by the land area

that is now eastern North America was likely

(1) greater, because eastern North America was at a lower latitude

(2) greater, because eastern North America was at a higher latitude

(3) less, because eastern North America was at a lower latitude

(4) less, because eastern North America was at a higher latitude

Which agents of erosion are currently

changing the appearance of this butte?

(1) glaciers and mass movement

(2) wave action and running water

(3) wind and mass movement

(4) running water and glaciers

38 Evidence that glaciers covered large areas of New York State is best provided by

(1) long-term temperature measurements (3) kettle lakes and drumlins

(2) folded layers of bedrock (4) the presence of streams and rivers

Base your answers to questions 59 through 62 on 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.

59 Describe one piece of evidence likely to be found on the exposed bedrock surfaces that could indicate the

direction this glacier moved. [1]

60 Describe one difference between the arrangement of sediment in the moraines and the arrangement of

sediment in the outwash plain. [1]

61 Describe the most likely shape of the valley being formed due to erosion by this glacier. [1]

62 Explain why the glacial ice absorbs less solar radiation than the surrounding exposed bedrock and soil. [1]

June 2013

23 Landscapes characterized by gentle slopes and meandering streams are most often found in regions with

(1) steep mountain cliffs (3) recently active faults and folds

(2) sediment-covered bedrock (4) high volcanic activity

24 The photograph below shows a valley.

25 Pieces of bedrock material that are broken from a cliff and deposited by a landslide at the base of

the cliff are best described as

(1) rounded and sorted (3) angular and sorted

(2) rounded and unsorted (4) angular and unsorted

26 Sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate cobbles are found in a streambed in New York State where the

surrounding bedrock is composed of shales and siltstones. The most likely explanation for the presence of

these cobbles is that they were

(1) weathered from the surrounding bedrock (3) transported to this area from another region

(2) formed when shale and siltstone bedrock were eroded (4) metamorphosed from shale and siltstone

27 The narrow, sandy, barrier islands in the ocean along the south coast of Long Island were deposited by

(1) wind (2) streams (3) glacial ice (4) wave action

Which agent of erosion most likely

produced this valley’s shape?

(1) blowing wind

(2) ocean waves

(3) moving ice

(4) running water

Base your answers to questions 62 through 65 on the map below and on your knowledge of Earth science.

The map shows the location of Sandy Creek, west of Rochester, New York. X and Y represent points on the

banks of the stream.

62 On the diagram below, draw a line to represent the shape of the stream bottom from point X to point Y. [1]

63 Explain why sediments are deposited when Sandy Creek enters Lake Ontario. [1]

64 The symbols representing four sediment particles are shown in the key below. These particles are being

transported by Sandy Creek into Lake Ontario. On the cross section, draw the symbols on the bottom of Lake

Ontario to show the relative position where each sediment particle is most likely deposited. [1]

65 Record the minimum velocity this stream needs to transport a 2.0-cm-diameter particle. [1]

January 2013

27 A landslide is an example of

(1) river deposition (2) glacial scouring (3) mass movement(4) chemical weathering

28 Each of the rock particles below has the same density and volume. Which particle will most likely settle at

the fastest rate in moving water?

29 Which rock weathers most rapidly when exposed to acid rain?

(1) quartzite (2) granite (3) basalt(4) limestone

30 What is the approximate minimum stream velocity needed to keep a particle in motion that has a diameter

of 10 centimeters? (1) 110 cm/ s (2) 190 cm/s (3) 325 cm/s (4) 425 cm/s

31 Which change is most likely to occur in a landscape if its climate changes from humid to arid?

(1) Wind will become a more important agent of erosion. (3) Chemical weathering will increase.

(2) Surface features will become more rounded. (4) Vegetation will increase.

33 The Catskills landscape region is classified as a plateau because it has

(1) low elevations and mostly faulted or folded bedrock

(2) low elevations and mostly horizontal bedrock

(3) high elevations and mostly faulted or folded bedrock

(4) high elevations and mostly horizontal bedrock

65 The diagram below shows a partial cross section of a valley near location A on map III. On this diagram,

draw a line beginning at X and ending at Y to show the shape of this valley after it was

eroded by glacial ice that flowed down the valley. [1]

August 2012

17 The block diagram below shows part of a meandering stream. Line XY shows the location of a stream cross

section.

Which cross section best represents the shape of the stream channel at line XY?