Erosion and Deposition Unit Test Study Guide
1.
What is the difference between erosion and deposition?
Erosion is the process that transports or moves sediment from its original source, while deposition is the process
of depositing, or leaving, the sediment in a new area
2. What is a topographic map?
A topographic map provides information about the topography, or shape, of the land.
3. On a topographic map, what is a contour line? What does it show you?
Contour lines are lines that connect all the areas that are the same height relative to sea level.
4. What is a contour interval?
A contour interval is the space between the contour lines. It shows the difference in elevation between two
contour lines.
5. On the map below, each contour line represents 10 meters. Maple Hill has an elevation of 145 meters.
a. What is the elevation of Point
? 120 meters
b. Which side of the hill is the steepest, east or west? The west side
6. What does elevation mean?
The height above sea level
7. What are the differences between mean, median, and mode?
Mean is the average of all the numbers;
Median is the number in the middle when the numerical data is arranged in order
Mode is the most repeated number
8. What does a geologist study?
A scientist who studies the earth, erosion, and deposition.
9. How can you determine how stable land is?
An area whose topography has not changed for an extended period of time is considered more stable. So by
studying topographic maps, you can determine how stable land may be.
10. Where does the Earth’s sediment come from?
The process of weathering breaks down rocks creating sediment
11. Why is soil important?
Soil is important because it provides storage for water (aquifers), a habitat for animals; nutrients for plants; a
stable building foundation.
12. Why are wetlands so ecologically diverse?
Wetlands have very nutrient rich soil that allow for a lot of plants and animals to live there
13. List the methods we discussed, used to manage erosion and deposition.
dredging, jetty, seawall (riprap), breakwater
14. On a map, what is the “scale”?
A scale is used on a map to show the relationship between the distance on the map and the actual distance on
earth.
15. Construction and farming both involve moving soil and sediment. What do you think that does to the stability of
the land? Explain your answer.
Both construction and farming move or displace the soil. By doing so the land becomes less stable and erosion
can be increased.
16. What is a river delta? How is it formed?
A delta is a landform created by sediment flowing downstream, which settles at the mouth of a river.
17. Define the terms erosion, weathering, and deposition. Then write them in the order that they occur.
1) Weathering – the process in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers,
water and wind
2) Erosion – The process of sediments being transported or moved from their original source
3) Deposition – The process of earth’s sediments being left, or deposited somewhere else.
18. What is dredging?
Dredging is a process of scooping out sediment to make a channel deeper
19. Compare and contrast the stability of land between the following areas by discussing the advantages and
disadvantages in building of each those places:
 The banks of a river
 A beach area
 The bottom of a hill
Answers will vary for this question. However, all answers should address the ideas about erosion and
deposition based on the lab activities that we had in class. Evidence needs to be provided for your
opinion and the trade-offs of your decision need to be included in your answer.