Wind Erosion

Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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1. Sand dunes tend to migrate
   1. against the wind as sand piles up against the windward face
   2. in the direction of the wind as sand is dropped over the top of the dune onto the leeward face
   3. to the right of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the southern.
   4. to the left of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere and to the right in the southern.
2. Desert pavement results from
   1. flash floods carrying large rocks
   2. deflation by wind
   3. chemical weathering
   4. volcanic ejecta covering the desert
3. Desert pavement is ___ for heavy human use because______.
   1. suitable--the rocks are large
   2. unsuitable--the pavement is thin
   3. suitable--the pavement is thick
   4. unsuitable--the rocks are sharp
4. Barchans are:
   1. crescent-shaped dunes
   2. ridges parallel to the wind direction
   3. ridges transverse to the wind direction
   4. streamlined bedrock hills scoured by the wind
5. Loess is composed of:
   1. sand
   2. clay
   3. silt
   4. volcanic ash
6. Which is true of loess?
   1. it is too crumbly to provide good root support for plants
   2. it is poor in plant nutrients
   3. it is too fine-grained to allow water to penetrate
   4. it forms many of the world's best agricultural soils
7. A faceted pebble shaped by the wind is termed a:
   1. ventifact
   2. erratic
   3. aeolian clast
   4. yardang
8. The sphinx started out as a natural desert landform called a:
   1. barchan
   2. pediment
   3. inselberg
   4. yardang
9. Dunes tend to form:
   1. parallel to the prevailing winds
   2. perpendicular to the prevailing winds
   3. either or both of the above at times
   4. they have no relation to wind direction
10. Transverse dunes can evolve into longitudinal dunes through an intermediate form called:
    1. barchan
    2. star dune
    3. intermediate dune
    4. parabolic dune
11. The largest and highest dunes are
    1. star dunes
    2. barchans
    3. longitudinal dunes
    4. transverse dunes
12. The largest sand dune region in the U.S. is in:
    1. Nevada
    2. California
    3. Arizona
    4. Nebraska
13. The source area from which wind-blown material derives can often become a:
    1. playa
    2. deflation basin
    3. flood plain
    4. loess blanket
14. The loess in Wisconsin was derived from:
    1. the Mississippi River flood plain
    2. dust blown off the Green Bay Glacial Lobe
    3. desert sand from the Great Basin
    4. rapid mechanical weathering of local rocks by intense cold
15. Dunes tend to be oriented
    1. parallel to the prevailing wind
    2. perpendicular to the prevailing wind
    3. both a and b
    4. at 45 degrees left or right of the prevailing wind
16. What types of dunes are not represented in snow?
    1. Barchans
    2. Star dunes
    3. Transverse dunes
    4. Longitudinal dunes
    5. All dune forms can occur in snow
17. The thickest loess in the U.S. is in
    1. Wisconsin
    2. Illinois
    3. Nebraska
    4. Mississippi
    5. Washington
18. There isn’t much loess in eastern and central Wisconsin because
    1. It didn’t get that far east
    2. It was blown beyond Wisconsin entirely
    3. It was buried by glacial deposits
    4. The area was covered by lakes and ice sheets at the time
    5. It was washed away by floods
19. Which is not a major loess region?
    1. The central U.S.
    2. China
    3. The Ukraine
    4. India
20. Which is not a property of loess that makes it a good basis for agricultural soils?
    1. It has lots of pore spaces for water retention
    2. It is of volcanic origin and contains lots of phosphorus
    3. The grains lock together and provide good root support
    4. It is made of fresh mineral grains with available mineral nutrients
    5. It is free of rocks
21. Wind-blown dust from Asia is found on the floor of the Pacific
    1. All the way to Japan
    2. 500 miles beyond Japan
    3. Halfway to Hawaii
    4. All the way to Hawaii
    5. All the way to North America

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Created 30 March 1998, Last Update 30 March 1998

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