Landforms + Sedimentary Rocks + Fossil Fuels

Canyons and mesas are two landforms found in the western part of the United States. Which statement best describes how canyons and mesas are similar?

• Both were formed by slow-moving glaciers.
• Both were formed by erosion by wind and water.
• Both were part of a mountain that was weathered by ice.
• Both were part of a desert that was reshaped by a flood.

Deltas are large landforms found along coastlines. What process forms deltas?

• Cementation of sediments by rivers
• Deposition of sediments by rivers
• Erosion of sediments by ocean waves
• Deposition of sediments by ocean waves

Which statement correctly describes how a landform is formed?

• A lake is formed when flowing water carves out the sides of a canyon.
• A mountain range is formed when glaciers slowly move across the landscape.
• A delta is formed at the mouth of a river when flowing water slows and deposits sediment.
• A U-shaped valley is formed when winds pick up and move sediment away from the landscape.

This photograph shows a fence between a sand dune and a road. What is most likely the main reason this fence was built?

• To stop sand from sliding or blowing onto the road and covering it up
• To prevent a delta from forming at the bottom of the dune
• To keep water off the road
• To prevent marine animals from nesting on the dune

Students on a field trip observed a valley and wondered how it was formed. The three major characteristics of the valley were recorded. Characteristics of a Valley • Round-bottom floor • Nearly vertical sides • Small hills containing sediments of many sizes This valley was most likely formed by —

• a rapid series of earthquakes
• volcanic activity
• a flood with rapidly moving water
• the movement of a glacier

The Grand Canyon is more than 400 km long and in some places almost 2 km deep. Which model best represents the main process that formed the Grand Canyon?

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Monahans Sandhills State Park in Texas has almost 4,000 acres of sand dunes. Some of the dunes are as tall as a six-story building. The dunes in the park are formed by —

• rainstorms
• tornadoes
• earthquakes
• strong winds

The size and shape of a delta can change over time. The size and shape of this delta over time are NOT likely to be changed by —

• the number and height of tides along the shore
• the amount and size of sediments carried by the river and streams
• the amount of hunting and fishing in the delta
• the number and size of waves from the ocean that reach the shore

Students constructed this model of a hill by covering sugar cubes with clay. The students placed the model in a large pan and poured hot water over it every day for a week. What does the model best represent?

• A method for removing fossil fuels from hills
• The formation of caves in hills
• The formation of plains
• A method for separating minerals

The photograph below shows a canyon in northern Arizona. Which of these describes how this canyon was most likely formed?

• Floods eroded the sandstone away from the canyon walls.
• Glaciers eroded the canyon rock as they melted and moved.
• Ice wedged into cracks in the rock and weathered the canyon walls.
• Wind blew large rocks that smashed against the canyon walls.