NAME _________________________________ DATE ______________ PERIOD ________
Erosion by Wind, Ice and Gravity Worksheets
Complete the following worksheets about erosion. If you can’t find the answers in
your book or notes, you may have to do some research.
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct choice.
1. Wind drops the sediment it is carrying when it
a.
b.
c.
d.
slows down.
is very moist.
arrives at a beach.
reaches a certain altitude.
2. What is the first step in the formation of a sand dune?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Wind carrying sand strikes an obstacle.
Wind moves particles of sand up a gentle slope.
Wind moves particles of sand down a slip face.
Wind deposits particles of silt and clay.
3. A sand dune migrates because wind keeps
a.
b.
c.
d.
reversing its direction.
blowing sand up and over the dune.
causing longshore drift.
none of the above
4. Deposits called loess
a.
b.
c.
d.
form vertical cliffs.
have thick rich soil.
are deposited by wind.
all of the above
5. Loess deposits consist of
a.
b.
c.
d.
sand and silt.
silt and clay.
clay and gravel.
gravel and sand.
6. Loess deposits are used for
a. rock climbing.
b. gold mining.
c. farming.
d. none of the above
7. Soil is less likely to be eroded by wind if it is
a.
b.
c.
d.
located on flat land.
covered with plants.
surrounded by trees.
two of the above
8. Today, continental glaciers cover most of
a.
b.
c.
d.
Alaska.
Canada.
Greenland.
all of the above
9. Features caused by valley glacier erosion include
a.
b.
c.
d.
eskers.
cirques.
drumlins.
end moraines.
10. A trimline shows the
a.
b.
c.
d.
highest level a valley glacier reached.
direction in which a glacier traveled.
greatest distance a glacier advanced.
ending edge of a continental glacier.
11. A headwall is the
a.
b.
c.
d.
starting point of a continental glacier.
highest ridge of an esker.
highest cliff of a cirque.
low spot in an arête.
12. A valley glacier changes a V-shaped river valley to a
a.
b.
c.
d.
kettle lake.
drumlin field.
U-shaped valley.
meltwater stream.
13. A thick layer of sediments left behind by a retreating continental glacier is called
a.
b.
c.
d.
ground moraine.
end moraine.
glacial till.
none of the above
14. The last time glaciers dipped as far south as Chicago and New York City was
a.
b.
c.
d.
10 million years ago.
1 million years ago.
120,000 years ago.
12,000 years ago.
15. Gravity causes erosion by all of the following except
a.
b.
c.
d.
glaciers.
moving air.
flowing water.
mass movement.
16. Factors that increase the risk of landslides include
a.
b.
c.
d.
dry soils.
lack of rain.
earthquakes.
two of the above
17. Mass movement can occur
a.
b.
c.
d.
suddenly.
very slowly.
only on sloping land.
all of the above
18. Slump may be caused by
a.
b.
c.
d.
wet clay.
water erosion.
scars on a hillside.
two of the above
19. Creep usually takes place where the ground
a.
b.
c.
d.
is level.
is prevented from moving.
freezes and thaws frequently.
is always saturated with water.
20. Evidence that creep has occurred include
a.
b.
c.
d.
cracked pavement.
crescent-shaped holes.
huge piles of mud.
large chunks of rock.
Fill in the Blank
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. A large mass of flowing ice is a(n) __________.
2. The process in which a glacier scrapes underlying rock is called __________.
3. The process in which a glacier picks up sediment is called __________.
4. Glaciers deposit their sediment when they __________.
5. The mixture of particles and rocks carried by a glacier is known as glacial __________.
6. A general term for sediments that have been deposited by a glacier is __________.
7. A lake that forms when a large chunk of glacial ice melts is called a(n) __________ lake.
8. A dust storm is more likely to occur in a __________ climate.
9. Wind carries clay and silt by __________.
10. __________ occurs when wind blows sediments in short hops.
11. __________ occurs when wind rolls or pushes sediments over the ground.
12. The side of a sand dune facing toward the wind has a(n) __________ slope.
13. The side of a sand dune facing away from the wind is called the __________.
14. Sand moves down the steep side of a sand dune because of __________.
15. The most destructive types of mass movement are landslides and __________.
16. If a landslide flows into the ocean, it may cause a(n) __________.
17. Mudslides occur where the soil consists mostly of __________.
18. The mass movement called __________ causes fence posts to tilt downhill.
19. The type of mass movement that occurs very slowly is __________.
Critical Reading
Read the passages and answer the questions that follow.
Formation of Sand Dunes
When the wind deposits sand, it forms small hills of sand. These hills are called sand dunes. For
sand dunes to form, there must be plenty of sand and wind. Sand dunes are found mainly in
deserts and on beaches.
The formation of a sand dune starts with an obstacle, such as a rock. The obstacle causes the
wind to slow down. The wind then drops some of its sand. As more sand is deposited, the dune
gets bigger. The dune becomes the obstacle that slows the wind and causes it to drop its sand.
The hill takes on the typical shape of a sand dune. It has a gentle slope on the side from which
the wind blows. The opposite side has a steep slope. This side is called the slip face.
Once a sand dune forms, it may slowly migrate over the land. The wind moves particles of sand
up the gently sloping side of the dune. This is done by saltation. When the sand particles reach
the top of the dune, they slip down the steeper side. The particles are pulled down the slip face
by gravity. The constant movement of sand up and over the dune causes the dune to move
along the ground. It moves in the same direction that the wind most often blows.
Questions
1. How does a sand dune form?
2. Describe the typical shape of a sand dune.
3. How and why do sand dunes migrate?
Erosion by Glaciers
Like flowing water, flowing ice erodes the land and deposits the material elsewhere. Glaciers
cause erosion in two main ways: plucking and abrasion. Plucking is the process in which rocks
and other sediments are picked up by a glacier. The sediments freeze to the bottom of the
glacier and are carried away by the flowing ice. Abrasion is the process in which a glacier
scrapes underlying rock. The sediments and rocks frozen in the ice at the bottom and sides of a
glacier act like sandpaper. They wear away rock as the glacier flows over it. They may also leave
scratches and grooves in rock that show the direction the glacier moved.
Valley glaciers form several unique features through erosion. As a valley glacier flows through a
V-shaped river valley, it scrapes away the sides of the valley. It carves a U-shaped valley with
nearly vertical walls. A line on the valley walls, called the trimline, shows the highest level the
glacier reached. A cirque is a rounded hollow carved in the side of a mountain by a glacier. The
highest cliff of a cirque is called the headwall. An arête is a jagged ridge that remains when
cirques form on opposite sides of a mountain. A low spot in an arête is called a col. A horn is a
sharp peak that is left behind when glaciers erode all sides of a mountain.
Questions
1. What is plucking? Why does it occur?
2. Why does a glacier cause abrasion?
3. Identify three features that are formed by valley glacier erosion, and explain how they form.
Why do valley glaciers, but not continental glaciers, form these features?