Glacier and Dune Dynamics Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary characteristic of a slip face in sand dunes?

  • The flat area at the base of the dune
  • The leeward slope of the dune (correct)
  • The completely eroded section of the dune
  • The windward slope of the dune

    • Which type of dune is characterized by its crescent shape?

  • Parabolic dunes
  • Barchan dunes (correct)
  • Star dunes
  • Longitudinal dunes

    • What factors determine the size, shape, and orientation of beach sand dunes?

  • Available sand, vegetation, and wind (correct)
  • The presence of water sources nearby
  • The color of the sand and the area's elevation
  • The temperature and humidity of the region

    • What is a ventifact?

    <p>A rock that has been altered by wind-driven particles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is primarily responsible for the formation of yardangs?

    <p>Wind abrasion and occasional flash flood erosion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a glacier primarily formed from?

    <p>Compaction and recrystallization of snow</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which types of glaciers are characterized by large scale?

    <p>Ice sheets</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which zone do glaciers see a gain in ice mass?

    <p>Zone of accumulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What primarily determines the retreat of a glacier?

    <p>Melting during warmer seasons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the balance that governs glaciers?

    <p>Snowfall, ice flow, and ablation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a type of glacier?

    <p>Rift glaciers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is indicated by a glacier's terminus?

    <p>The end point of the glacier's flow</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which environment does NOT specifically contribute to glacier accumulation?

    <p>Tropical forests</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a cirque?

    <p>A bowl-shaped depression carved by a glacier</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes a fjord?

    <p>It is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides created by a glacier.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of glacial drift is composed of material deposited directly by ice?

    <p>Till (Moraine)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines stratified drift in glacial geology?

    <p>Sorted sediment laid down by meltwater from glaciers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a playa primarily described as?

    <p>A flat-bottom depression found in arid regions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of moraine is formed from material pushed forward by a glacier's leading edge?

    <p>Terminal Moraine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is glacial drift?

    <p>It refers to all materials transported and deposited by glaciers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which term refers to the lifting of loose material by wind?

    <p>Deflation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of moraine is described as an irregular blanket of till deposited under a glacier?

    <p>Ground Moraine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What transport method does not involve dissolved materials?

    <p>Bed Load</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which landform is characterized as sharp-crested piles of debris left by melting ice?

    <p>Moraines</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process leads to the formation of desert pavement?

    <p>Deflation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes abrasion in the context of wind erosion?

    <p>Mechanical scraping of surfaces</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'saltation' refer to in sediment transport?

    <p>Temporary lifting of granules off the ground</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component primarily comprises the suspended load transported by wind?

    <p>Finer materials like dust and silt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic distinguishes glacial till?

    <p>It is usually unstratified and unsorted.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a type of moraine?

    <p>Delta moraine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are drumlins primarily shaped by?

    <p>Advancing glaciers running over moraines</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How are kettles formed?

    <p>From the melting of large blocks of ice</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the defining feature of outwash plains?

    <p>They are formed from sediment deposited by glacial meltwater.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Eskers are best described as:

    <p>Long winding ridges of material deposited in glacier tunnels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which feature is formed by glacial streams emptying into lakes?

    <p>Deltas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main material composition of kames?

    <p>Sand and gravel from meltwater streams</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is formed only in the ablation zone of a glacier?

    <p>Moraines</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do kettles become when a block of stagnant ice melts?

    <p>A depression that can form a pond or lake</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following describes an esker?

    <p>Ridges made from glacial meltwater deposited through tunnels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes an outwash plain?

    <p>It is dominated by braided rivers during glacier melting.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these features is shaped like elongated teardrop hills?

    <p>Drumlins</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of moraine is created during a temporary glacial standstill?

    <p>Terminal moraine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the sediments in an outwash plain as one moves away from the glacier?

    <p>The sediments become finer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What describes the shape of a moraine that curves convexly down a valley?

    <p>Crescentic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Glaciers

    • Glaciers are part of both the hydrologic and rock cycle.
    • A glacier is a thick mass of ice formed from compacted and recrystallized snow, exhibiting evidence of past or current flow.
    • Types include valley/alpine (mountainous areas, smaller than ice sheets, longer than wide, confined to a small region), ice sheets/continental (large scale, cover 10% of Earth's land, e.g., Greenland, Antarctica), ice caps, and piedmont glaciers.

    Glacier Movement

    • Glaciers move due to gravity.
    • Internal flow (plastic flow) and basal sliding contribute to glacier movement.
    • Plastic flow is the internal deformation of ice under stress, and speed decreases with depth.
    • Basal sliding is facilitated by meltwater at the ice-bed interface, enhanced by irregularities on the bed (regelation).
    • Glacier speed varies, generally slower at the base and edges, faster in the center, ranging from 0.5 m/year to several meters/day.

    Anatomy of a Glacier

    • Zone of accumulation (snowfall exceeds ablation).
    • Zone of ablation (melting and evaporation exceed snowfall).
    • Firn line (transition between compacted snow and glacial ice).
    • Crevasses (fractures in brittle ice).

    Glacial Budget

    • The balance between accumulation and ablation determines a glacier's stability.
    • Snowline marks limit of accumulation.
    • Wastage zone occurs where ablation exceeds snowfall.

    Glacial Erosion

    • Glaciers erode through plucking (lifting of rocks) and abrasion (grinding).
    • Rock flour is pulverized rock created by abrasion.
    • Striations are grooves in bedrock caused by abrasion.

    Glacial Landforms (Alpine)

    • Glacial trough – U-shaped valley after glacier retreats.
    • Hanging valley – smaller tributary valley higher than the main valley.
    • Cirque – bowl-shaped depression at the head of a valley carved by glacial erosion.
    • Arête – sharp ridge between two adjacent valleys.
    • Horn – sharp peak formed by the erosion of three or more arêtes.
    • Fjord – deep U-shaped glacial valley flooded by seawater.
    • Tarn – small glacial lake in a cirque.
    • Pater noster lakes – series of glacial lakes connected by a stream.

    Glacial Deposits

    • Glacial drift is material moved and deposited by glaciers.
    • Moraines are unsorted debris piled up by glaciers (ground moraine - blanket like, terminal moraine - ridge-like, recessional moraine - created during pauses in glacier retreat, lateral moraines).
    • Stratified drift is sorted sediment deposited by meltwater (outwash plains, eskers, kames, kettles).

    Continental Glaciers/Ice Sheets

    • Features like kettles, eskers, moraines, drumlins, and outwash plains are common deposits.

    Desert Environments & Landforms

    • Deserts have less than 25 cm of annual precipitation, with an aridity index higher than 4.0.
    • Deserts can be cold, temperate, or hot.

    Desert Landforms

    • Desert weathering is primarily mechanical, with a bit of chemical weathering.
    • Desert varnish is a thin coating of minerals that forms on rock surfaces.
    • Features produced by stream erosion include arroyos, pediments, and inselbergs.
    • Playas are dry lake beds.

    Desert Landforms Created by Wind

    • Wind deflation removes loose material creating blowouts and desert pavements.
    • Wind abrasion shapes stones (ventilfacts) and creates yardangs.
    • Wind deposition creates sand dunes (barchan, transverse, longitudinal, parabolic, star).
    • Loess is windblown silt, a result of glacial outwash.

    Desertification

    • Desertification is the expansion of desert-like conditions into non-desert areas.
    • Causes include drought and overpopulation.
    • Signs include lowering of the water table, decreased water supply, increased salinity, vegetation loss, and accelerated soil erosion.

    Ice Age Glaciers

    • The most recent ice age started 2-3 million years ago, with widespread ice coverage.
    • Ice age glaciers caused worldwide changes in sea level, climate, and migration of plants and animals.
    • Possible causes include variations in Earth's orbit (Milankovitch hypothesis), volcanic activity, and changes in atmospheric composition.

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    Glaciers, Wind, and Desert Environments PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on the characteristics and formation of dunes and glaciers. This quiz covers topics such as slip faces, ventifacts, and the processes influencing glacier mass balance. Dive into the intricate details of our planet's geological features!

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