Question 1

The feature formed when a river dumps its sediment near its mouth is called a:

Accepted Answer

A)   delta
B)   meander
C)   point bar
D)   oxbow lakeE) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 2

Which of the following typically decreases downstream in a river?

Accepted Answer

A)   flow velocity
B)   discharge
C)   channel size
D)   maximum sediment grain size
E)   none of theseF) A) and B)
G) A) and D)

Question 3

What is the pattern of discharge shown by this hydrograph?

Accepted Answer

A)   discharge gradually increases and quickly decreases
B)   discharge quickly increases and gradually decreases
C)   discharge gradually decreases and quickly increases
D)   discharges quickly decreases and gradually increasesE) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 4

A delta forms when:

Accepted Answer

A)   ocean waves, especially during storms, pile up sediment along the coast
B)   a steep mountain front collapses sending sediment out into the sea
C)   a river slows and deposits sediment as it enters a lake or sea
D)   windblown dust slides down steep hillsides and into a lakeE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT true about rivers?

Accepted Answer

A)   major rivers, like the upper Mississippi near the Great Lakes, must be relatively old rivers
B)   the boundary between hard rocks and soft rocks can be marked by waterfalls
C)   loading and unloading of the crust by ice sheets can change the direction rivers flow
D)   different parts of a river can be different agesE) All of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 6

What type of stream is shown in this figure?

Accepted Answer

A)   braided stream
B)   a stream whose channel has a low sinuosity
C)   meandering stream
D)   a stream that lacks point bars
E)   all of theseF) B) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 7

Based on the accompanying hydrograph, what was the stream discharge when the data period shown in the graph ended?

Accepted Answer

A)   1.8 meters per second
B)   4 meters per second
C)   4 cubic meters per second
D)   9 cubic meters per second
E)   10 cubic meters per secondF) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 8

Which of the following sediment sizes is likely to be transported mostly on the bottom of the stream bed?

Accepted Answer

A)   fine sand
B)   sticky clay particles
C)   pebbles and cobbles
D)   dissolved materialsE) None of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 9

What is formed when a river meets the sea and slows down and deposits its load of sediments?

Accepted Answer

A)   a delta
B)   a beach
C)   meandersD) A) and B)
E) A) and C)

Question 10

Which particles of sediment are most likely to be transported as suspended load?

Accepted Answer

A)   small, low density particles
B)   pebbles of average density
C)   sand and gravel of relatively high density
D)   dissolved ions in solution
E)   all of theseF) A) and C)
G) None of the above

Question 11

What was the cause of flooding in the 1993 upper Mississippi River flood?

Accepted Answer

A)   Heavy snowmelt in Canada sent large volumes of water down the river in the spring.
B)   A dam failed because it had been built in a risky place near a fault.
C)   Persistent thunderstorms caused large amounts of rainfall over a several-state region.
D)   Winter produced rain that melted snow that was on the ground.E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 12

The gradient of the stream between the two ends on the accompanying figure is:

Accepted Answer

A)   1 meter per kilometer
B)   10 meters per kilometer
C)   100 meters per kilometer
D)   1 to 1
E)   6 to 1F) None of the above
G) A) and E)

Question 13

If erosion and deposition occur at the same rate, how can we best describe the particles of sediment on a streambed?

Accepted Answer

A)   only very small particles will be present along the stream bottom
B)   particles neither move in, nor move out of this part of the stream
C)   as the sediment moves downstream, it is replaced by a similar volume of sediment
D)   pebbles and cobbles carried away are replaced by the same number of smaller particlesE) A) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 14

What is the most important geologic agent in eroding, transporting, and depositing sediment?

Accepted Answer

A)   Flowing water
B)   Glaciers
C)   Wind
D)   Ocean wavesE) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 15

The profile of a stream is steeper at its:

Accepted Answer

A)   headwaters
B)   mouth
C)   capacity level
D)   deltaE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 16

Which of the following features are generally NOT associated with mountain streams and rivers?

Accepted Answer

A)   waterfalls
B)   rapids
C)   canyons incised into bedrock
D)   meandersE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 17

What is the term for small, shifting channels that carry water away from the main river channel and distribute it over the surface of the delta?

Accepted Answer

A)   Distributaries
B)   Braided streams
C)   Flood plains
D)   Alluvial fansE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 18

How is an alluvial fan formed?

Accepted Answer

A)   a stream erodes down through older terraces and entrenched meanders
B)   sediment is deposited by debris flows and streams that decrease in velocity along the mountain front
C)   a landslide blocks the stream, causing sediment to accumulate upstream
D)   a dam increases the speed of currents below the damE) A) and B)
F) C) and D)

Question 19

The accompanying figure shows a series of river terraces. Which two of these terraces are probably closest in age?

Accepted Answer

A)   A and B
B)   B and C
C)   C and D
D)   A and CE) A) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 20

The amount of sediment carried by a stream is the:

Accepted Answer

A)   sediment load
B)   suspended load
C)   saltation load
D)   traction loadE) B) and C)
F) B) and D)

Exam 16: Streams and Flooding

The gradient of the stream between the two ends on the accompanying figure is:

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Which of the following is NOT true about rivers?

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What type of stream is shown in this figure?

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The amount of sediment carried by a stream is the:

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Which of the following typically decreases downstream in a river?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following sediment sizes is likely to be transported mostly on the bottom of the stream bed?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What was the cause of flooding in the 1993 upper Mississippi River flood?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the most important geologic agent in eroding, transporting, and depositing sediment?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which particles of sediment are most likely to be transported as suspended load?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the term for small, shifting channels that carry water away from the main river channel and distribute it over the surface of the delta?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following features are generally NOT associated with mountain streams and rivers?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Based on the accompanying hydrograph, what was the stream discharge when the data period shown in the graph ended?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If erosion and deposition occur at the same rate, how can we best describe the particles of sediment on a streambed?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the pattern of discharge shown by this hydrograph?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The feature formed when a river dumps its sediment near its mouth is called a:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How is an alluvial fan formed?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A delta forms when:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is formed when a river meets the sea and slows down and deposits its load of sediments?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The accompanying figure shows a series of river terraces. Which two of these terraces are probably closest in age?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The profile of a stream is steeper at its:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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