Quiz: Erosion & Deposition

Part 1: Vocabulary & Key Concepts

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is erosion?

A. The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces B. The movement of weathered rock from one place to another C. The dropping off of sediments in a new place D. The formation of soil from weathered rock

2. What is deposition?

A. When rocks are broken apart by ice B. When plants grow in cracks in rocks C. The dropping off of weathered rock in a new place D. When wind picks up sand and carries it away

3. What is the biggest cause of erosion?

A. Flowing water B. Wind C. Glaciers D. Earthquakes

4. What is abrasion?

A. When outer layers of rock peel off B. When acid dissolves limestone C. When tree roots split rock apart D. The wearing away of rock by the sharp edges of blowing sand

5. Which of the following causes erosion?

A. Soil B. Sunlight C. Waves D. Cracks in rocks

Part 2: Cause and Effect

Think about what causes what!

6. What happens when rainwater carries sediments into a stream?

A. The sediments dissolve in the water B. The moving water carries the sediments downhill and deposits them in a new place C. The sediments turn into new rocks D. The stream dries up from the extra weight

7. Which soil type erodes faster?

A. Sandy soil, because it is loose and easily carried by wind or water B. Hard-packed clay, because it is heavy C. Soil with lots of plant roots D. Both erode at exactly the same rate

8. Why do plants help prevent erosion?

A. Their leaves block the sun B. They make the soil heavier C. They absorb all the wind D. Their roots hold the soil in place so it doesn't blow or wash away

9. Which would erode the sides of a stream faster — a flood or a drought?

A. A drought, because dry soil crumbles easily B. A flood, because fast-moving water has more power to carry sediment C. Neither — streams don't erode D. Both erode at the same rate

10. How is erosion different from deposition?

A. Erosion happens slowly and deposition happens quickly B. Erosion is caused by wind and deposition is caused by water C. Erosion picks up and moves sediment; deposition drops sediment in a new place D. Erosion only happens in deserts; deposition only happens near rivers

Part 3: The Dust Bowl

Answer questions about the Dust Bowl — an example of extreme erosion.

11. What caused the Dust Bowl?

A. A massive earthquake that shook the soil loose B. Overfarming wore out the soil, then a drought made it dry and bare, and wind blew it away C. A flood that washed all the soil into the ocean D. Glaciers moving through farmland

12. What were "black blizzards"?

A. Snowstorms that turned the sky dark B. Swarms of insects that blocked the sun C. Volcanic eruptions that filled the air with ash D. Terrible dust storms — thick, dark clouds of dry soil blown by the wind

13. What happened to farmers because of the Dust Bowl?

A. Thousands had to leave their farms and move west B. They made more money selling dusty crops C. They started growing crops in the mountains instead D. Nothing — farming continued as normal

14. How much topsoil was lost in some areas during the Dust Bowl?

A. About 1 cm (less than half an inch) B. About 5 cm (2 inches) C. Up to 30 cm (12 inches) D. Up to 3 meters (10 feet)

15. Which region of the US was most affected by the Dust Bowl?

A. The Northeast B. The Southwest C. The Southeast D. The Pacific Northwest

Part 4: Slowing Erosion & Soil Conservation

How do farmers protect soil from erosion?

16. What is strip farming?

A. Plowing fields up and down a slope B. Growing only one type of crop in very long rows C. Planting crops in alternating strips — one holds soil, the next grows food, and they switch each year D. Removing strips of land to let them rest

17. What is contour plowing?

A. Plowing across a slope so the curved rows prevent soil from washing downhill B. Plowing straight up and down a hill to make channels for water C. Plowing only the flat parts of a field D. Using a machine that follows the shape of the clouds

18. How do trees planted between fields help prevent erosion?

A. They make the soil wetter B. They block the wind and slow wind erosion C. They eat the dust before it blows away D. They attract rain clouds

Part 5: Fill in the Blank

Type the correct word to complete each sentence.

19. The transport of weathered rock from one place to another is called _______________.

20. When wind or water drops sediment in a new place, it is called _______________.

Erosion & Deposition Quiz

Erosion & Deposition Quiz

Chapter 4, Lesson 2 — Macmillan California Science

Part 1: Vocabulary & Key Concepts

Part 2: Cause and Effect

Part 3: The Dust Bowl

Part 4: Slowing Erosion & Soil Conservation

Part 5: Fill in the Blank

ANSWER KEY — For Parents

Part 1: Vocabulary & Key Concepts

Part 2: Cause and Effect

Part 3: The Dust Bowl

Part 4: Soil Conservation

Part 5: Fill in the Blank