SAMPLE FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
Back to Study GuidesMULTIPLE CHOICE. If more than one answer appears to be correct, choose the single best answer. (1 pt each).
1. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
a. Chemical weathering is enhanced in warm, humid environments.
b. Frost weathering is a type of physical weathering whereby repeated freeze-thaw cycles fracture rocks.
c. Oxidation causes the color of brown rocks to turn bluish or gray.
d. Carbonation is the primary weathering process that creates karst landforms in limestone
2. A watershed, or drainage basin,
a. is an example of an open system defined by boundaries, into which sunshine, precipitation, and other energy and materials may enter and/or leave.
b. includes all of the land drained by a particular river or stream.
c. may be very small in area (for a single short tributary) or very large (for a major river system).
d. is bounded by the drainage divide, which separates the watershed from adjacent watersheds.
e. all of the above3. At high elevations, the climate tends to be
a. warmer, with high relative humidity
b. cooler, with thinner air
c. warmer, with more evapotranspiration
d. cooler, with increase in vegetation
e. Climate is not affected by elevation.
MAP QUESTIONS. Locate as accurately as possible, and label neatly and Clearly with the Letter of the Question the following features on the World Map. (3 pts each).A. Locate on the map two different areas of the world where Fluvial Processes would be dominant. What type of weathering processes would be dominant here? What type of river channels would be dominant? (be specific)
1. _____ (letter on map) Weathering: _______________________________ River channels: ________________________________
2. _____ (letter on map) Weathering: _______________________________ River channels: ________________________________
B. Pick two of the following biomes: tundra, needleleaf coniferous forest, midlatitude deciduous forest, prairie grasslands, tropical rainforest, tropical desert. Locate on the map two areas in the world where your choice is found. What type of climate is found here? What kinds of geomorphic processes are dominant here?
1. ____, ______(letters on map) Biome ____________________________________Climate type _____________________
Geomorphic processes ____________________________________________________
2.____, ______(letters on map) Biome ____________________________________Climate type _____________________
Geomorphic processes ____________________________________________________
FINAL EXAM ESSAY PROMPTS
SHORT ESSAY. Choose ONE of the following questions on which to write a short essay. Be sure to answer each part of the question carefully and completely. Please answer in a few well-organized paragraphs, using full sentences and proper spelling and grammar. Include sketches to illustrate your answers if appropriate. (10 pts each)
1. What are all the major types of natural hazards that can occur in California? (Hint: think about extreme weather and climate problems, geologic or geomorphic problems, ecosystem responses to such problems.) Please describe where in the state each hazard can occur and discuss the factors that make this place susceptible to that particular hazard. Which seasons bring us these hazards? How does our climate play a role? How does our geology play a role? How does our location relative to tectonic plates play a role? Does our relief and location on an ocean coast play a role?
2. Describe and explain the limiting factors (such as availability of water, sunlight, and other factors) that control the distribution of different vegetation types. For example, why don’t trees grow beyond the tree line on top of a high mountain, or why doesn’t rainforest vegetation grow in a tropical savanna? Use two or three vegetation types as examples, and include the geographic distribution of the examples you’ve chosen.
3. Describe in detail the differences between a year-round mild and humid landscape and a cold, high elevation landscape in terms of the following: (a) dominant weathering processes, (b) whether or not susceptible to mass movements, (c) dominant stream channel types, and (d) vegetation types and survival strategies. Please explain why each process or landform is likely to be found in each location. In your discussion, draw connections between the climate, weathering, stream channel types, likelihood for mass movements or floods, and vegetation types.
Final is worth 25% of your final grade.
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Last Updated 12/7/09