Physical Geology (1403)
Study Guide Test #4
Short Answer Questions
The short answer questions appearing on the test are taken directly from the group of questions on the
study guide. Each test contains about four short answer questions. I award partial credit for incomplete
responses.
Chapter 18 – Stream Transport
 Differentiate between competence and capacity.
 Describe a situation that might cause a stream channel to become braided.
 What is a graded stream and what conditions might upset the graded condition?
 How does a superposed stream differ from an antecedent stream?
Chapter 19 – Winds and Deserts
 What is loess? Where are such deposits found? What is the origin of this sediment?
 List four major types of sand dune and state the conditions under which each forms.
 What controls the distribution of major desert regions on the Earth?
 What is deflation and what feature is formed by this process?
Chapter 20 – Coastlines and Ocean Basins
 What is wave refraction? What is its effect on headlands and irregular coastlines?
 Where and how is deep ocean seafloor created by volcanism?
 Distinguish among the three basic types of seafloor sediments and give an example of each.
 What are turbidity currents and where do they form?
Chapter 21 – Glaciers
 Describe the two components of glacial flow.
 What is a crevasse? Where do they tend to occur on a glacier? Why do crevasses end about 50 meters
into the glacier?
 What is a varve and how do they form?
 What is glacial drift? Distinguish between till and outwash deposits.
Scantron Questions
The scantron portion of the test consists of the usual multiple choice, true and false, and word choice
questions. A sizeable number of the lecture test’s scantron questions are taken from the “practice” tests
distributed by the instructor for each chapter.
Selected Figures/Diagrams
Pay particular attention to the figures listed below. Be able to identify the various features and details
when you are presented with a similar figure or diagram on the test.
Chapter 18: Fig. 18.1, 18.3(panel 6), 18.8
Chapter 19: Fig. 19.10 (stages of dune formation), 19.11 (panel 1), 19.12 (dune types)
(Over)
Physical Geology (1403)
Chapter 20: Fig. 20.2, 20.4b, 20.18 a-c, 20.19, 20.23
Chapter 21: Fig. 21.16 (panel 3), 21.17, 21.18
Comprehensive
Fig. 2.8 (Plate boundaries); 7.8a and b; Fig. 14.7 (zones of the Earth/upper fig.), 14.8 (lithosphere vs.
asthenosphere)
(Over)