Earth and Space Science

Question 1

1) What is the name of the preserved remains, traces, or evidence of organisms that were formerly alive, often found in rocks and other geologic deposits?

Answer 1

Fossil

Question 2

2) Fossils are most often found in what type of rock?

W) Igneous (read as: IG-nee-us)
X) Metamorphic
Y) Sedimentary
Z) Granitic

Answer 2

Y: Sedimentary

Question 3

3) The three components required for an oil reservoir to form are a source rock, a porous and permeable reservoir rock, and…

Answer 3

Seal and trap

Question 4

4) Deposition of primarily which compound leads to the formation of stalactites and stalagmites in caves?

Answer 4

Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)

Limestone caves, where most stalactites and stalagmites are found, are mainly composed of calcite, a common mineral found in sedimentary rocks. Calcite molecules are made of calcium and carbonate ions, and are referred to as CaCO3, or calcium carbonate.

Question 5

5) What type of boundary is described as two lithospheric plates moving toward one another and colliding?

Answer 5

Convergent

Question 6

6) The largest volcano on Mars is about 15 miles above the surrounding planes. What is the name of this volcano?

Answer 6

Olympus Mons

Question 7

7) Which of the following is NOT something a river can do to rock?

W) Cut down through hundreds of meters of rock
X) Polish rock
Y) Transport rock hundreds of miles
Z) Melt rock

Answer 7

Z: Melt rock

Question 8

8) Thousands of rivers drain the continental United States. These rivers primarily drain into which three bodies of water?

Answer 8

Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico

Question 9

9) Which of the following describes how sea ice is different from continental ice?

W) Continental ice is denser than sea ice
X) Sea ice is saline while continental ice is fresh
Y) Sea ice floats on the water while continental ice sits on land
Z) Sea ice is constantly changing while continental ice remains the same

Answer 9

Y: Sea ice floats on the water while continental ice sits on land

Question 10

10) Which of the following characteristics is the least reliable when identifying minerals?

W) Color
X) Steak
Y) Cleavage
Z) Hardness

Answer 10

W: Color

Question 11

11) What mineral characteristic is defined as a mineral’s ability to break along preexisting planes of weakness?

Answer 11

Cleavage

A cleavage plane is a plane of structural weakness along which a mineral is likely to split smoothly. Cleavage thus refers to the splitting of a crystal between two parallel atomic planes.

Question 12

12) Which of the following is NOT true about groundwater?

W) It never freezes
X) It ultimately flows to the ocean
Y) It is replenished by surface water from streams, precipitation and rivers
Z) It can be depleted by humans in a particular region

Answer 12

W: It never freezes

Question 13

13) In some regions of the U.S., sinkholes form in the bedrock when rocks are naturally dissolved by circulating ground water. Name a rock type which can dissolve, collapsing to form spaces and caverns deep underground.

Answer 13

Carbonate

Question 14

14) What is the term used to describe someone who draws maps?

W) Graphic designer
X) Meteorologist
Y) Geoscientist
Z) Cartographer

Answer 14

Z: Cartographer

Question 15

15) What type of igneous rock forms underground, cools slowly, and can be identified by its large grain sizes and phaneritic texture?

Answer 15

Plutonic

Question 16

16) Meteorology is the study of:

W) Meteors
X) Weather
Y) Space
Z) Rocks

Answer 16

X: Weather

Question 17

17) Along with tectonic forces, weathering and erosion, which of the following process also helped to shape landforms on Earth today?

W) Condensation
X) Upwelling
Y) Deposition
Z) Transpiration

Answer 17

Y: Deposition

Question 18

18) What is the name given to the supercontinent believed to have existed around 250 million years ago, before the continents split apart and drifted to where they are today?

Answer 18

Pangaea

Question 19

19) Rank the seven continents in order from largest to smallest area.

Answer 19

Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia

Question 20

20) Which of the following is the approximate age of the Universe in years?

W) 3 million
X) 1 billion
Y) 5 billion
Z) 14 billion

Answer 20

Z: 14 billion

Question 21

21) Name the current geologic era.

Answer 21

Cenozoic

Question 22

22) Where on Earth would sunrise and sunset occur at approximately the same times all year round?

Answer 22

Equator

Question 23

23) If you see part of the moon one night, then three nights later you can see more of it, you know that the moon is:

W) Waning
X) Waxing
Y) Gibbous
Z) Full

Answer 23

X: Waxing

Question 24

24) Which of the following best describes what drives plate tectonics?

W) Energy from the Sun driving ocean currents and plates
X) Heat from the Earth’s interior driving convection in the mantle
Y) Scientists have not yet developed a robust theory but some leading researchers are linking it to ocean currents
Z) Earthquakes drive plate tectonics, volcanism, and global wind systems

Answer 24

X: Heat from the Earth’s interior driving convection in the mantle

Question 25

25) Which of the following best describes what kinds of rocks are formed because of plate tectonics? W) Volcanic rocks only X) Igneous (read as: IG-nee-ehs), metamorphic, and sedimentary Y) Sandstones and marble Z) Coal and fossil fuels

Answer 25

X: Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary

Question 26

26) What is the SI unit for pressure?

Answer 26

Pascal

Question 27

27) Why is it winter in the northern hemisphere when it is summer in the southern hemisphere? W) The manner in which the Earth rotates regulates the seasons on Earth X) The northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun when the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun Y) Because of the Earth’s revolution, each hemisphere experiences summer when it is closest to the Sun and winter when it is further away Z) Because of the Earth’s rotation, seasons are regulated by photoperiods

Answer 27

X: The northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun when the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun

Question 28

28) Rocks vary greatly in density. Which well-known rock is less dense than water?

Answer 28

Pumice

Question 29

29) What type of front forms when a cold front overtakes a warm front?

Answer 29

Occluded front

Question 30

30) On which day does daylight last for 24 hours at the Arctic Circle?

Answer 30

X: Summer solstice

Question 31

31) What acid is formed when carbon dioxide is dissolved into water?

Answer 31

Carbonic acid

Question 32

32) Through what medium can all kinds of earthquake waves travel? W) Plasma X) Liquids Y) Gases Z) Solids

Answer 32

Z: Solids

Question 33

33) When the Earth’s interior finally cools, which of the following will stop? W) Water cycle X) Weathering and erosion Y) Plate tectonics Z) Solar energy reaching Earth

Answer 33

Y: Plate tectonics

Question 34

34) What greenhouse gas has the greatest impact on Earth’s climate?

Answer 34

CFC (Chloro Floro Carbon)

Question 35

35) Without a greenhouse effect, what would be Earth’s approximate average temperature in degrees Celsius? W) -18 X) -8 Y) 8 Z) 18

Answer 35

W: -18

Question 36

36) There are two groups of planets, terrestrial and Jovian, in our Solar System. Terrestrial planets have which of the following characteristics? W) Few moons, located near the asteroid belt, no solid surfaces, extremely cold X) Located relatively far from the Sun, gaseous, largest planets in the Solar System Y) Rich in rock, relatively very large in size, many moons, extremely high temperature at the surface Z) Located relatively close to the Sun, relatively small in size, iron-rich, solid, few or no moons

Answer 36

Z: Located relatively close to the Sun, relatively small in size, iron-rich, solid, few or no moons

Question 37

37) Consider the following facts: Neptune is greater than 17 times more massive than Earth and orbits the Sun at less than 20% of the speed that Earth travels in its orbit. Also, Neptune is spinning almost 6 times faster than Earth. How does Neptune’s day length compare to Earth’s?

Answer 37

It is shorter than an Earth day

Question 38

38) What is the SI unit for temperature?

Answer 38

Kelvin

Question 39

39) Which of the following is NOT an SI unit? W) Meter X) Kilogram Y) Liter Z) Ampere

Answer 39

Y: Liter

Question 40

40) Which of the following minerals is the softest? W) Quartz X) Diamond Y) Talc Z) Iron

Answer 40

Y: Talc

Question 41

41) Greenhouse gases heat the atmosphere by allowing sunlight to pass through while trapping heat. Which of the following planets does NOT have an atmosphere that contains greenhouse gases? W) Earth X) Venus Y) Mars Z) Mercury

Answer 41

Z: Mercury

Question 42

42) Which of the following statements is NOT true about Mercury? W) Mercury is the second densest planet in the solar system X) Mercury travels around the Sun faster than any other planet Y) Mercury has no magnetic field Z) Mercury has been visited by spacecraft

Answer 42

Y: Mercury has no magnetic field

Question 43

43) Which of the following is NOT a moon of Jupiter? W) Titan X) Io Y) Europa Z) Callisto

Answer 43

W: Titan

Question 44

44) Which of the following statements is NOT true about Jupiter’s moon Europa? W) It was discovered by Galileo X) Its atmosphere is primarily composed of methane Y) It orbits Jupiter every 3 and a half days Z) It has a deep salty ocean which is frozen over

Answer 44

X: Its atmosphere is primarily composed of methane

Question 45

45) The general paths of storm systems that travel across the continental United States are primarily driven by: W) Ocean currents X) Local winds Y) Mountains Z) The jet stream

Answer 45

Z: The jet stream

Question 46

46) The jet stream separates major air masses over the central continental U.S. The high pressure air mass to the north of the jet stream has which of the following characteristics in winter? W) Warm and humid X) Warm and dry Y) Cold and humid Z) Cold and dry

Answer 46

Z: Cold and dry

Question 47

47) What is a meteorite? W) An asteroid X) A kind of comet Y) A natural particle from space that vaporizes upon entering Earth’s atmosphere Z) A natural particle from space that survives impact with the Earth’s surface

Answer 47

Z: A natural particle from space that survives impact with the Earth’s surface

Question 48

48) Sea ice is formed by frozen seawater, which contains salt. At what temperature, in Celsius, will sea ice freeze? W) -11.20 X) -1.8 Y) 0 Z) +0.001

Answer 48

X: -1.8

Question 49

49) Which of the following is the term for the swampy area where a river valley meets the sea? W) Playa X) Trench Y) Spit Z) Estuary

Answer 49

Z: Estuary

Question 50

50) When fresh water streams meet the salty ocean, water of intermediate salinity forms. What term is used to describe this type of water?

Answer 50

Brackish

Question 51

51) Which of the following sedimentary rocks is often formed in a tropical ocean? W) Sandstone X) Limestone Y) Breccia Z) Shale

Answer 51

X: Limestone

Question 52

52) Which of the following types of physical weathering is referred to as onion skin weathering, where concentric shells of weathered material form around a rock? W) Freeze/thaw X) Exfoliation Y) Unloading Z) Thermal expansion

Answer 52

X: Exfoliation

Question 53

53) Which of the following statements about heating air is true? W) Air over land is heated faster than air over water at the same location X) Air over a light colored sandy beach is heated to a higher temperature than air over the black asphalted parking lot Y) Air over water is heated faster than air over land at the same location Z) Air over ice is heated faster than air over water at the same location

Answer 53

W: Air over land is heated faster than air over water at the same location

Question 54

54) You experience an ocean breeze when you stand on the beach on a summer afternoon because: W) Wind always comes into land off the water because air moves more over the ocean X) Air currents are stronger over land Y) Air over land is heated more, causing it to rise and make room for the cooler ocean air Z) Air over water is heated during the day, rises, and then flows inland to the land, where the air is cooler

Answer 54

Y: Air over land is heated more, causing it to rise and make room for the cooler ocean air

Question 55

55) Glaciers can have quite an effect on Earth’s surface. They can: W) Stop volcanoes from erupting X) Carve away rock from mountains Y) Sink to the bottom of the ocean then grow until they reach the surface Z) Create new mountain ranges

Answer 55

X: Carve rock away from mountains

Question 56

56) Which of the following statements is true about glaciers? W) Glaciers are generally full of rocks and sediments and can move these objects far from their sources X) When a glacier retreats, it moves backwards Y) Humans did not exist when glaciers were covering much of North America Z) There is more glacial ice today than there has been in the past 100 years

Answer 56

W: Glaciers are generally full of rocks and sediments and can move these objects far from their sources

Question 57

57) Two planets of the same mass are orbiting around the same star. Planet A is three times as far away from the star as Planet B. How does the star’s gravitational force on Planet A compare to the gravitational force on Planet B?

Answer 57

1/9

Question 58

58) The radius of Planet C is close to half that of Earth, and both have the same average density. Compared to Earth’s gravitational acceleration at the surface, approximately what will Planet C’s gravity be at its surface? W) 4 g X) g/4 Y) g Z) g/2

Answer 58

Z: g/2

Question 59

59) As water freezes it often supercools, which means that it: W) Remains liquid below the freezing point X) Cools very quickly Y) Rapidly cools the surrounding environment Z) Becomes a solid above the freezing point

Answer 59

W: Remains liquid below the freezing point

Question 60

60) As water begins changing phase from liquid to solid, what is happening with the energy of the system, including the ice and the surrounding water? W) No energy is being exchanged X) Energy from the forming ice is given off to the surrounding water Y) Energy from the surrounding water is given off to the forming ice Z) The whole system loses energy rapidly, becoming supercooled

Answer 60

X: Energy from the forming ice is given off to the surrounding water

Question 61

61) What is the term for the structural geologic feature in which there is an increased dip in otherwise gently dipping strata?

Answer 61

Monocline

Question 62

62) What most likely constitutes the majority of the Earth’s center, also known as the inner core? W) Hydrogen gas X) Molten rock Y) Molten iron Z) Solid iron

Answer 62

Z: Solid iron

Question 63

63) Which of the following is an index mineral? W) Chalcopyrite X) Andalusite Y) Azurite Z) Sphene

Answer 63

X: Andalusite

Question 64

64) What is the original energy source that drives the transfer of water in the ocean to water vapor in the atmosphere? W) The Sun X) Nuclear energy Y) Wind power Z) Tidal power

Answer 64

W: The Sun

Question 65

65) A cubic meter of H2O has the greatest amount of energy in which of the following situations? W) Ice in a Rocky Mountain glacier X) Water vapor in an air mass over Kansas Y) Water in the Gulf of Mexico Z) Water in Lake Michigan

Answer 65

X: Water vapor in an air mass over Kansas

Question 66

66) Although a number of environmental factors help shape land features, identify the one factor that typically produces valleys with a U-shape.

Answer 66

Valley glaciers

Question 67

67) Sixteen thousand years ago, the landscape of the Midwest was very different than it is today. Glaciers were retreating, but much of the Midwestern United States was under ice. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Midwest 16,000 years ago? W) Spruce grew throughout much of the Midwest south of the glaciers X) Summers were significantly cooler than they are today Y) Winter temperatures were dramatically cooler than they are today Z) Ground sloths browsed on trees and shrubs

Answer 67

Y: Winter temperatures were dramatically cooler than they are today

Question 68

68) Why couldn’t sailing explorers from Europe and Asia sail directly along the latitude that cuts across the middle of the North Atlantic or North Pacific to get to America? W) Wind and water currents do not flow directly along the latitude that cuts across the middle of these oceans X) Winds blow so hard near the middle of the ocean that it is impossible to maintain a straight course Y) Near the center of the oceans, the winds often blow in one direction, while the water currents flow in the opposite direction, making it difficult to traverse Z) The currents are so strong in the middle of the gyres that it is difficult to sail through them

Answer 68

W: Wind and water currents do not flow directly along the latitude that cuts across the middle of these oceans

Question 69

69) What is the source of the northeast trade winds in the North Atlantic? W) Florida X) North Africa Y) Brazil Z) Canada

Answer 69

X: North Africa

Question 70

70) In which of the three spheres of Earth does life exist throughout much of the sphere?

Answer 70

Hydrosphere

Question 71

71) Which of the following lists the four upper spheres of Earth in the correct order of their chronological development? W) Atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere X) Hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere Y) Lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere Z) Biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere

Answer 71

Y: Lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere

Question 72

72) Which of the following was a storm observed on Saturn – a large, bright, convective storm that appeared in Saturn’s southern hemisphere? W) Dust storms X) Great Dark Spot Y) Dragon Storm Z) Great Red Spot

Answer 72

Y: Dragon storm

Question 73

73) The Dragon Storm on Saturn emitted radiation similar to that generated by lightning on Earth. In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum are these emissions found?

Answer 73

Radio

Question 74

74) What is the name for the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid or comet where it is nearest to the Sun?

Answer 74

Perihelion

Question 75

75) If the Earth’s axis lost its tilt, which of the following would least likely occur? W) Changes in ocean surface currents X) Increased amount of seasonal changes across the planet Y) Cooler temperatures in winter and hotter temperatures in summer Z) Days and nights which are equal throughout the entire year across the planet

Answer 75

Y: Cooler temperatures in winter and hotter temperatures in summer

Question 76

76) What does a barometer measure?

Answer 76

Atmospheric pressure

Question 77

77) Which of the following is NOT evidence that supports the notion of Snowball Earth? W) Stable concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide X) Dropstones in tropical waters Y) Large clay deposits Z) Cap carbonates

Answer 77

W: Stable concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Question 78

78) Of the following locations, where on the Earth's surface are you closest to the center of the Earth? W) The geographic North Pole X) The equator Y) Costa Rica Z) Saudi Arabia

Answer 78

W: The geographic North Pole

Question 79

79) Which of the following describes the temperature and productivity of surface ocean water in an upwelling zone? W) High temperature and low productivity X) High temperature and high productivity Y) Low temperature and high productivity Z) Low temperature and low productivity

Answer 79

Y: low temperature and high productivity

Question 80

80) Which of the following choices is NOT a condition required for the formation of a thunderstorm? W) Humid air in low- to mid-troposphere X) Atmospheric instability Y) Relatively low temperatures Z) A source of uplift

Answer 80

Y: relatively low temperatures

Question 81

81) What is the name for an elongated cluster of thunderstorm cells that is accompanied by a continuous gust front at the line’s leading edge?

Answer 81

Squall line

Question 82

``` 82) About what percentage of worldwide rainfall occurs in the tropics? W) 14% X) 45% Y) 66% Z) 85% ```

Answer 82

Y: 66%

Question 83

83) The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was launched in 1997 with the primary mission of measuring rainfall from space using passive microwave and active radar sensors. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of TRMM? W) Increased understanding of the water cycle X) Increased understanding of the heat release associated with rainfall Y) Increased understanding of contrails Z) Better likelihood of accurate climate models

Answer 83

Y: Increased understanding if contrails

Question 84

84) If Jupiter is approximately 5 times further from the Sun than the Earth, what fraction of the intensity of light does it receive relative to the Earth?

Answer 84

1/25

Question 85

85) If you see the Moon in the western sky just above the setting Sun, what is the Moon’s phase? W) New moon X) Full moon Y) Gibbous Z) Waxing crescent

Answer 85

Z: waxing crescent

Question 86

86) Which north or south latitude experiences the greatest variation in sun exposure over the course of the year? W) 0° X) 30° Y) 60° Z) 90°

Answer 86

Z: 90°

Question 87

87) What geological feature is responsible for the dark spots on the moon?

Answer 87

Solid pools of lava

Question 88

88) Marcellus shale occurs in the subsurface under several states. Which of the following is NOT one of them? W) Indiana X) Ohio Y) Pennsylvania Z) West Virginia

Answer 88

W: Indiana

Question 89

89) Is the radius of Mars 1/4, 1/2, 2, or 4 times the size of Earth’s radius?

Answer 89

1/2

Question 90

90) Name the two moons which orbit Mars.

Answer 90

Deimos and Phobos

Question 91

91) Extrusions from a volcano produce what types of rock?

Answer 91

Igneous

Question 92

92) Which of the following is not a form of metamorphic rock: slate, marble, gypsum, or gneiss (read as: NYS)?

Answer 92

Gypsum

Question 93

93) Which of the three main rock types contains most of the fossil fuels we use as energy resources today?

Answer 93

Sedimentary rock

Question 94

94) What fossil fuel is responsible for most of the acid rain in the United States? W) Oil X) Natural Gas Y) Coal Z) Oil Shale

Answer 94

Y: Coal

Question 95

95) Which of the following natural disasters is NOT commonly caused by the movement of tectonic plates? W) Volcanoes X) Earthquakes Y) Hurricanes Z) Tsunamis

Answer 95

Y: Hurricanes

Question 96

96) Which of the following environmental conditions is NOT commonly associated with hurricanes? W) Warm ocean waters X) Further than 300 miles from the equator Y) Greater than 25 miles per hour change in wind speed between the surface and upper troposphere Z) Moist air near the mid-level of the troposphere

Answer 96

Y: Greater than 25 miles per hour change in wind speed between the surface and upper troposphere

Question 97

97) What atmospheric trace gas is a product of aerobic respiration?

Answer 97

Carbon dioxide

Question 98

98) Which of the following activities will increase your carbon footprint? W) Eating a more beef-rich diet X) Eating a more local vegetarian diet Y) Keeping your family’s car tires inflated to the correct level Z) Using public transportation like buses and trains

Answer 98

W: Eating a more beef-rich diet

Question 99

99) Which of the following is least likely to be impacted by climate change? W) Atmosphere X) Hydrosphere Y) Cryosphere Z) Mantle

Answer 99

Z: mantle

Question 100

100) What is the name of a fracture or zone of fractures in the Earth that allows large masses of rocks to move relative to each other?

Answer 100

Fault

Question 101

101) Which of the following is used to describe a thrust fault? W) Divergent X) Transverse Y) Spreading Z) Convergent

Answer 101

Z: Convergent

Question 102

102) Which of the following well types is used to determine whether oil or gas is present: exploration, confirmation, or development?

Answer 102

Exploration

Question 103

103) What is the purpose of a confirmation well? W) To verify that the site will physically support a drilling platform X) To verify that the oil is accessible Y) To verify that a formation has enough hydrocarbons to make it worth developing Z) To verify that the cost of extricating the oil will not be too high

Answer 103

Y

Question 104

104) Which of the following is NOT a mineral? W) Quartz X) Marble Y) Feldspar Z) Calcite

Answer 104

X

Question 105

105) Which of the following is a type of metamorphic rock that is created from sandstone? W) Andesite X) Schist Y) Gneiss Z) Quartzite

Answer 105

Z

Question 106

106) Which of the following is an inevitable consequence of the global climate change we are facing today? W) Extinction of humans X) Rise in sea level Y) World war Z) Closing down of Arctic waterways

Answer 106

X

Question 107

107) Which part of Earth’s atmosphere is farthest from Earth’s surface? W) Stratosphere X) Exosphere Y) Thermosphere Z) Troposphere

Answer 107

X

Question 108

108) Lake Vostok, thought to be a good analogue for an under-ice ocean environment on Europa, can be found underneath glacial ice on which continent?

Answer 108

Antarctica

Question 109

109) Approximately what percent of Earth’s water is in the form of ice? W) 1.6 % X) 6.6 % Y) 11.6 % Z) 16.6 %

Answer 109

W

Question 110

110) The Mohorovičić (read as: mōe-HOH-rōe-vi-tsik) discontinuity, commonly referred to as the Moho discontinuity, defines a contrast in seismic velocity that is widely accepted to be the boundary between the mantle and what layer?

Answer 110

Crust

Question 111

111) The Earth's core is believed to be composed primarily of what element?

Answer 111

Iron

Question 112

112) Due to the construction of the Hoover Dam, the delta of what river has been affected by changes in water flow?

Answer 112

Colorado River

Question 113

113) What are the ecosystems called that are located around rivers and streams, linking water to dry land?

Answer 113

Riparian zones

Question 114

114) Which of the following oceanic currents prevents the climate of Northern Europe from being much colder? W) Circumpolar Current X) Kuroshio Current Y) North Pacific Current Z) Gulf Stream

Answer 114

Z

Question 115

115) Which of the following statements is NOT true about weather or climate? W) The terms weather is used to describe atmospheric conditions over a short period of time in a particular area X) Climate is the average weather pattern over many years in a particular area Y) Climate causes weather Z) Climate variability can be related to periodic changes such as El Niño or La Niña

Answer 115

Y

Question 116

116) Which of the following is true about the Moon? W) It crosses our sky along the same path every night X) It always rises in the west Y) It changes size in our sky as it passes from horizon to zenith to the other horizon Z) It gives off no light of its own

Answer 116

Z

Question 117

117) A large portion of the bottom of the Great Salt Lake is covered by smooth, soft and rounded sand, often used in home aquaria. What kind of sand is it?

Answer 117

Oolitic

Question 118

118) What is the name of the climate phenomena ?

Answer 118

La niña

Question 119

119) El Niño and La Niña conditions are a result of surface temperature anomalies in which ocean basin?

Answer 119

Pacific ocean

Question 120

120) In the Appalachian Mountains, canaries were historically used to assess air quality while people extracted a commonly found energy-producing mineral resource. Name this resource.

Answer 120

Coal

Question 121

121) The Appalachian Mountains stretch from Newfoundland in the north to which two states in the south?

Answer 121

Alabama and Georgia

Question 122

122) What type of feature would you least expect to find in an arid environment? W) Dunes X) Evaporites Y) Point bar Z) Alluvial fan

Answer 122

Y

Question 123

123) What is the general term for the alteration of land to desert-like conditions as the result of human activities?

Answer 123

Desertification

Question 124

124) What geologic feature gives the Ring of Fire its name?

Answer 124

Volcanoes

Question 125

125) What is the primary component of Saturn’s rings?

Answer 125

Water ice

Question 126

126) Marble is the metamorphic product of which sedimentary rock?

Answer 126

Limestone

Question 127

127) Chemically, what is the difference between limestone and dolomite? W) Limestone is a carbonate rock containing only calcium, while dolomite contains both calcium and magnesium X) Limestone is a carbonate rock containing only magnesium, while dolomite contains only calcium Y) Limestone is a carbonate rock containing both calcium and magnesium, while dolomite contains only calcium Z) Limestone is a carbonate rock containing only calcium, while dolomite contains only magnesium

Answer 127

W

Question 128

128) In which direction do winds circulate during a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 128

Counter clockwise

Question 129

129) Hurricane winds rotate in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere due to: W) The cyclonic force X) The Coriolis effect Y) Ocean temperature differences Z) The presence of less land in the Southern Hemisphere

Answer 129

X

Question 130

130) Which of the following is NOT true about carbon dioxide? W) It has been present in Earth’s atmosphere for billions of years X) The present amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is completely due to natural causes Y) Increased emissions of carbon dioxide from human industrial activities are causing global climate change Z) On Earth, it is emitted by humans, most other animals and plants

Answer 130

X

Question 131

131) What gas makes up the majority of our atmosphere?

Answer 131

Nitrogen

Question 132

132) In which of the following locations are you most likely to find sandstone rock formations? W) Areas with a long history of earthquakes X) Ancient beaches or deserts Y) Swamps formed within the last thousand years Z) Areas with a history of lava deposition

Answer 132

X

Question 133

133) Name the insoluble siliceous nodules that can form within limestone.

Answer 133

Chert

Question 134

134) What is the approximate salinity of the ocean in parts per thousand? W) 15 X) 25 Y) 35 Z) 45

Answer 134

Y

Question 135

135) The salinity of the ocean is rarely measured directly. What characteristic of the water is measured as a proxy for salinity?

Answer 135

Conductivity

Question 136

136) Pikes Peak in the Rockies, Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, Stone Mountain in Georgia, and Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada are all areas where large quantities of what kind of rock are exposed at the surface?

Answer 136

Granite

Question 137

137) Which of the following minerals is present in the highest concentrations in granite? W) Pyroxene X) Hornblende Y) Quartz Z) Plagioclase feldspar

Answer 137

Y

Question 138

138) If convection currents in the mantle stopped, which of the following would likely happen? W) The number of earthquakes would increase X) The number of earthquakes would stay the same Y) Earthquakes would get stronger Z) The number of earthquakes would decrease

Answer 138

Z

Question 139

139) In what state of matter are convection currents unable to transfer heat?

Answer 139

Solid

Question 140

140) Shortly after its formation, Earth’s moon was: W) Closer to Earth than it is now X) Farther from Earth than it is now Y) The same distance from Earth as it is now Z) Oscillating between further from and closer to Earth

Answer 140

W

Question 141

141) What rock type would you not expect to find on the Moon? W) Rock similar in composition to Earth’s mantle X) Layered sedimentary rock Y) Igneous rock Z) Rock similar in composition to a metallic meteor

Answer 141

X

Question 142

142) Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel? W) Oil X) Hydrogen gas Y) Natural gas Z) Coal

Answer 142

X

Question 143

143) Fossil fuels form through the decomposition of organic materials. You’re studying a map that shows ancient environments. If you went hunting tomorrow for fossil fuels, which of these ancient habitats would you avoid? W) Desert X) Swamp Y) Forest Z) Coral reef

Answer 143

W

Question 144

144) Which of the following statements is true about primary producers in the ocean? W) They are responsible for bringing energy from the physical world into the biological world X) They are found primarily in tropical coral reef environments in equatorial waters Y) They are also referred to as primary consumers in an ecosystem model Z) They include sharks and large bony fishes

Answer 144

W

Question 145

145) Which of the following is true about deep mid-ocean ridge ecosystems? W) There are no primary producers, only consumers and decomposers X) The organisms are highly mobile, ascending daily to the ocean surface to feed Y) The source of energy is chemical energy from hydrothermal vents of the seafloor Z) The organisms have the most dynamic and complex coloring on their bodies so they can be visible at depth

Answer 145

Y

Question 146

146) Most of the photons emitted by our sun fall in which pair of ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum? W) Visible light and infrared X) Radio and X-ray Y) Gamma and infrared Z) Ultraviolet and visible

Answer 146

W

Question 147

147) Which of the following is true about divergent plate boundaries where the lithosphere is being pushed and pulled apart? W) They only occur along the seafloor X) They are sites of the most explosive volcanism known on earth Y) They are no longer active but there is evidence of volcanism from millions of years ago Z) Magma from the mantle is exposed at the surface and cools to form new crust

Answer 147

Z

Question 148

148) Why are there no deep-sea trenches off the east coast of the United States? W) There are no trenches in the Atlantic Ocean; trenches exist only in the Pacific Ocean X) The Appalachian Mountains are volcanic mountains and trenches are not associated with volcanism Y) The eastern coast of the United States is in the middle of the North American Plate, not at a plate margin where trenches can occur Z) The deep ocean trenches have been filled with sediments from the many rivers that drain the U.S.

Answer 148

Y

Question 149

149) Which of the following processes increases salinity in surface waters of the ocean? W) High levels of evaporation X) Melting sea ice Y) High levels of precipitation Z) Abundance of ocean life

Answer 149

W

Question 150

150) In which of the following regions of the world will you likely find surface ocean water that is high in salinity and temperature but low in productivity? W) Middle of the Atlantic, north of the equatorial waters X) North Pacific Ocean, near the shoreline Y) Indian Ocean, between India and Africa (Arabian Sea) Z) Coral reefs, off the northeast coast of Australia

Answer 150

W

Question 151

151) Which of the following is true about a full lunar eclipse? W) They occur every month X) They tend to occur in the same months as solar eclipses Y) They only occur when the Moon is at perigee, closest to Earth Z) Everyone on the night side of Earth with a clear sky can see the lunar eclipse

Answer 151

Z

Question 152

152) What is primarily responsible for the blue clouds of Neptune?

Answer 152

Methane

Question 153

153) Which of the following is true about constellations? W) They are made up of stars that not only appear close together but that are actually physically close together in space X) They are all visible throughout the year from all points on Earth’s surface Y) They may serve as reference points in the night sky Z) The locations of the stars in the constellations have changed significantly since the times of ancient Greeks

Answer 153

Y

Question 154

154) Our Solar System orbits the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. One full revolution takes about 200-250 million years. The last time our solar system was where it is now, what was occurring here on Earth? W) Humans were trying to survive with dinosaurs X) Pangaea was just breaking up into the continents we know today Y) There were no living organisms on Earth yet Z) There were no animals living on land but the seas were full of life

Answer 154

X

Question 155

155) What happens to the wastewater in a septic tank? W) It is removed weekly by solid waste management companies along with curbside trash pickup X) It is piped into the town’s sewer system Y) It stays in the septic tank until it is full and it then pumped out about every 50 years Z) It is released into a pond or leach field where it can either evaporate or join groundwater

Answer 155

Z

Question 156

156) What is the name of the tide that has the lowest high tide and highest low tide?

Answer 156

Neap tide

Question 157

157) The San Andreas Fault, which runs along most of the coast of California, is an example of what type of fault: normal, thrust, or strike-slip?

Answer 157

Strike-slip

Question 158

158) Most of the mass of Earth’s atmosphere is located in which of the following layers? W) Troposphere X) Mesosphere Y) Thermosphere Z) Stratosphere

Answer 158

W

Question 159

159) Which of the following is true about air over the north and south poles? W) It evaporates at a much faster rate than air found elsewhere X) It rises, creating a region of high snowfall Y) It freezes and falls to earth as ice, forming the ice sheets Z) It sinks, creating a high pressure system near the surface

Answer 159

Z

Question 160

160) Limestone is largely composed of which two minerals?

Answer 160

Calcite and Aragonite

Question 161

161) Diamonds are formed when carbon-based material is exposed to high pressures and comparatively low temperatures. Where are these two types of environments found on Earth?

Answer 161

Lithospheric mantle

Question 162

162) What is the name for the two times of year when the nighttime and daylight portions of a day are of approximately equal lengths?

Answer 162

Equinox

Question 163

163) What is the approximate air pressure at the surface of the Earth in pascals? W) 5,000 X) 10,000 Y) 100,000 Z) 500,000

Answer 163

Y

Question 164

164) Which of the following depicts an accurate relationship between river water and groundwater within one watershed area? W) River water may be polluted but groundwater lacks pollutants X) They are the same, though the water may pick up slightly different chemicals and minerals as it moves through the ground Y) Groundwater can be contaminated by septic tanks but rivers cannot Z) Rivers flow into the ocean but groundwater cannot

Answer 164

X

Question 165

165) Which of the following determines the size of the image formed by a telescope? W) The focal length of the main lens or mirror X) The thickness of the lens Y) The size of the aperture Z) The size of the mirror

Answer 165

W

Question 166

166) By name or number, identify all of the following four moon phases in which a neap tide can occur: 1) first quarter, 2) last quarter, 3) new moon, 4) full moon.

Answer 166

First and last quarter

Question 167

167) In which geologic period did reptiles first appear in Earth’s history?

Answer 167

Carboniferous

Question 168

168) The stratopause is the boundary between which two atmospheric layers?

Answer 168

Stratosphere and Mesosphere

Question 169

169) Which of the following is a depositional feature formed by a glacier? W) Arête X) Horn Y) Cirque Z) Kame

Answer 169

Z

Question 170

170) Iceland is very tectonically active; which of the following does NOT contribute to its interesting geologic and tectonic past and present? W) Location atop a divergent boundary X) Location adjacent to a subduction zone Y) Location atop a hot spot Z) Abundant transform faults

Answer 170

X

Question 171

171) Which of the following events are associated with the highest tides? W) Spring tides X) Neap tides Y) Slack tides Z) Ebb tides

Answer 171

W

Question 172

172) By name or number, rank the following sedimentary rocks in order of increasing grain size: 1) conglomerate, 2) sandstone, 3) shale.

Answer 172

Shale, sandstone, conglomerate

Question 173

173) Which of the following minerals has the highest density? W) Chromite X) Galena Y) Platinum Z) Pyrite

Answer 173

Y

Question 174

174) Kyanite is a metamorphic mineral that forms at temperatures greater than 600° Celsius. Assuming a geothermal gradient of 20° Celsius per kilometer, what is the minimum depth, in kilometers, at which kyanite will form?

Answer 174

30

Question 175

175) Which of the following is NOT a present-day lithospheric plate? W) Philippine X) Scotia Y) Arabian Z) Arctic

Answer 175

Z

Question 176

176) During the month of January, the Earth moves along its orbit at a rate that is which of the following? W) Faster than during July X) The same rate as any other month of the year Y) Slower than during March or September Z) The same rate as it is in June

Answer 176

W

Question 177

177) Which of the following is associated with Karst topography? W) Fossiliferous sandstones X) Hydrothermal activity Y) Large granitic boulders Z) Sinkholes

Answer 177

Z

Question 178

178) What is the gradient, in feet per mile, of a stream slope whose highest elevation is 1600 feet to a point with an elevation of 400 feet over a distance of 5 miles?

Answer 178

240

Question 179

179) What is the term for fractures that result in smooth curved surfaces, such as broken glass?

Answer 179

Conchoidal

Question 180

180) Give the name of the soft, porous, calcium carbonate spires found in places like Mono Lake in eastern California that formed long ago when calcium-bearing fresh water bubbled up into the alkaline lake rich in carbonates.

Answer 180

Tufa

Question 181

181) Which of the following represents the rate at which atmospheric gases and particles are moved across a surface? W) Vertical dispersion X) Turbulence Y) Flux Z) Stratospheric transport

Answer 181

Y

Question 182

182) By name or number, what is the order, from thinnest to thickest, of the Earth's: 1) crust, 2) mantle, 3) outer core, and 4) inner core?

Answer 182

Crust, inner core, outer core, mantle

Question 183

183) What is the name of the large oceanic circulation system that moves cold salty water from the surface to the bottom of the ocean near Greenland?

Answer 183

North Atlantic deep ocean current

Question 184

184) Unlike algae in lakes, marine algae are more likely to grow rapidly after what element is added to their natural environment?

Answer 184

Iron

Question 185

185) Which of the following is at the base of the hydrothermal vent community food chain? W) Symbiotic phytoplankton X) Chemosynthetic archaea Y) Marine snow Z) Photosynthetic bacteria

Answer 185

X

Question 186

186) What is the term for the sequences of rocks that make up the ocean floor and are composed from top to bottom of pillow basalts, sheeted dikes, gabbro, and peridotite

Answer 186

Ophiolite

Question 187

187) What is the name for the layer of the ocean in which temperature changes rapidly with depth?

Answer 187

Thermocline

Question 188

188) What is the process by which physical and chemical changes occur in a sediment after it has been deposited and buried?

Answer 188

Diagenesis

Question 189

189) A crystal’s habit that is plant-like in shape is called which of the following? W) Dendritic X) Bladed Y) Massive Z) Reniform

Answer 189

W

Question 190

190) By name or number, identify all of the following four choices that can appear as silicate mineral structures: 1) single chain, 2) double chain, 3) sheet, 4) three-dimensional framework.

Answer 190

Single chain, double chain, sheet, three dimensional framework

Question 191

191) Which of the following minerals can create metamorphic structures known as snowball structures? W) Kyanite X) Muscovite mica Y) Garnet Z) Talc

Answer 191

Y

Question 192

192) Earth’s most severe extinction event, also called the Great Dying, resulted in the extinction of 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species. This event marks the boundary between what two geological periods?

Answer 192

Permian and Triassic

Question 193

193) Which of the following is the coldest and densest water in Earth’s oceans? W) Antarctic bottom water X) North Atlantic deep water Y) Atlantic intermediate water Z) Arctic water

Answer 193

W

Question 194

194) An igneous rock has a porphyritic texture. Which of the following does this indicate about the cooling history? W) It cooled in stages, at different levels within the crust X) It cooled rapidly near the surface Y) It cooled on the surface and was quenched Z) It cooled slowly, at one time, at depth

Answer 194

W

Question 195

195) Bauxite is primarily mined to attain what natural resource?

Answer 195

Aluminum

Question 196

196) Which of the following is NOT true about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter? W) The transit time from Earth to Mars was about seven months X) It has a camera that can spot Martian objects that are as small as a dinner table Y) It discovered carbon dioxide snow falling on Mars Z) When it is at its closest range to Earth, it can send data to Earth faster than a cable or DSL home internet connection

Answer 196

Y

Question 197

197) Both 30° north and 30° south latitude are characterized by zones of which of the following? W) Surface convergence X) High pressure Y) Low pressure Z) Jet streams

Answer 197

X

Question 198

198) As ancient seas evaporate, thick layers of which of the following minerals can be formed and later mined for economic use? W) Galena X) Halite Y) Quartz Z) Diamonds

Answer 198

X

Question 199

199) Which of the following is NOT one of the six main crystal systems? W) Monoclinic X) Cubic Y) Orthorhombic Z) Prismatic

Answer 199

Z

Question 200

200) What are the primary metals associated with the ores hematite and cinnabar, respectively?

Answer 200

Iron and Mercury

Question 201

201) Which of the following silicate mineral groups has a single-chain silicate structure? W) Feldspars X) Micas Y) Pyroxenes Z) Amphiboles

Answer 201

Y

Question 202

202) Correctly match the intrusive rock types, granite, gabbro, and diorite, respectively, with the following extrusive rock types, basalt, andesite, and rhyolite

Answer 202

Granite-Rhyolite, Gabbro-Basalt, Diorite-Andesite

Question 203

203) Thermohaline circulation is driven by what two seawater traits?

Answer 203

Salinity and temperature

Question 204

204) Quenching of molten materials is an important step in the formation of which of the following kinds of igneous rock? W) Pegmatite X) Obsidian Y) Chert Z) Granite

Answer 204

X

Question 205

205) Isotopes of which of the following elements would allow you to determine the age of the oldest rocks on Earth? W) Carbon X) Lead Y) Iron Z) Uranium

Answer 205

Z

Question 206

206) Which of the following is NOT a common mafic silicate mineral? W) Potassium feldspar X) Olivine Y) Pyroxene Z) Amphibole

Answer 206

W

Question 207

207) Give the name of the most frequently occurring iron-bearing oxide mineral in soil that has a characteristic yellowish brown color and often forms under cool temperatures, moist soil conditions, and in the presence of comparatively large amounts of organic matter.

Answer 207

Geothite

Question 208

208) Stromatolites were once very common but are now quite rare. Which of the following is a plausible explanation? W) Light conditions are no longer favorable for the photosynthetic organisms that form stromatolites X) Ocean acidification makes the formation of stromatolites difficult Y) Few places are warm enough for the organisms that form stromatolites Z) The organisms that produce stromatolites were not able to compete effectively enough with other organisms

Answer 208

Z

Question 209

209) As sea ice melts, the Earth reflects less sunlight back into space, resulting in further warming and more loss of ice. What kind of feedback relationship is this?

Answer 209

Positive

Question 210

210) Which of the following rocks likely formed from the lowest temperature melt? W) Granite X) Basalt Y) Diorite Z) Andesite

Answer 210

W

Question 211

211) Which of the following types of geologic folds are pointed, not curved, around the axial plane? W) Recumbent X) Chevron Y) Isoclinal Z) Symmetrical

Answer 211

X

Question 212

212) On a topographic map, a river runs from east to west. If a north-south-trending contour line crosses the river and forms a V that points to the right, in which direction is the river likely flowing?

Answer 212

West

Question 213

213) What is the name of the common point around which both the Earth and the Moon revolve?

Answer 213

Barycenter

Question 214

214) Earth is nearest the Sun around January 3rd. What is the term for this point in Earth’s orbit?

Answer 214

Perihelion

Question 215

215) In 1849, bones of a beluga whale were discovered in Vermont buried nearly 10 feet below the surface and over 150 miles from the nearest ocean. During which of the following time frames would the whale most likely have died? W) 6,000 to 7,000 years ago X) 11,000 to 12,000 years ago Y) 17,000 to 18,000 years ago Z) 23,000 to 24,000 years ago

Answer 215

X

Question 216

216) By name or number, list the following four fossils in chronological order from earliest to most recent according to their first occurrence in geological history: 1) bird, 2) trilobite, 3) dinosaur, 4) eurypterid

Answer 216

Trilobite, Eurypterid, dinosaur, bird

Question 217

217) Which of the following seas of the Arctic Ocean has observed the greatest loss of ice since 1990? W) Greenland X) Laptev Y) Labrador Z) Chukchi

Answer 217

Z

Question 218

218) Which of the following sets of two locations have the most similar latitudes? W) New York City, New York and London, England X) Tampa, Florida and Kathmandu, Nepal Y) Death Valley, California and Boston, Massachusetts Z) Sydney, Australia and Lima, Peru

Answer 218

Z

Question 219

219) What product of airplane travel cools Earth’s climate by reflecting incoming solar radiation?

Answer 219

Contrails

Question 220

220) By name or number, identify all of the following three clay minerals that are important in brick making: 1) kaolinite 2) illite, 3)Montmorillonite

Answer 220

Kaolinite, Illite, Montmorillonite

Question 221

221) The salinity of ocean water is often determined from its conductivity, measured against the conductivity of which of the following substances dissolved in water? W) Potassium chloride X) Sodium chloride Y) Sodium sulfate Z) Magnesium sulfate

Answer 221

W

Question 222

222) What are the three primary ions that contribute to seawater’s salinity?

Answer 222

Chloride, Sodium, and Sulfate

Question 223

223) What convection-related weather phenomenon results in poleward transport of air from lower latitudes?

Answer 223

Polar vortex

Question 224

224) Of what mineral are the oldest crystals on Earth composed?

Answer 224

Zirconium Silicate

Question 225

225) The crew of a fishing vessel on the equator notices that their nets, hanging several meters below the ship, are drifting in the opposite direction of their boat. This is a result of which of the following currents? W) Equatorial counter current X) Equatorial undercurrent Y) Meridional transport current Z) Atlantic subcurrent

Answer 225

X

Question 226

226) What is the name of the climatic event that occurred between 12,800 and 11,500 years ago due to the cessation of the North Atlantic Deep Ocean Current?

Answer 226

The younger dryas

Question 227

227) Kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite, and smectite are all examples of what kind of mineral?

Answer 227

Clay

Question 228

228) The gradational series that includes the formation of garnet as an intermediate grade metamorphism in pelites is known as what type of metamorphism?

Answer 228

Barrovian

Question 229

229) High salinities, high oxygen, low silica, and near-freezing temperatures allow seawater to sink, driving global circulation. In which of the following seas would you expect to find this occurring? W) Weddell Sea X) Catalan Sea Y) Sea of Japan Z) Mediterranean Sea

Answer 229

W

Question 230

230) What is the name of the failed continental rift zone that began the formation of the Mississippi?

Answer 230

Reelfoot rift

Question 231

231) Which of the following is NOT a carbonate? W) Dolomite X) Aragonite Y) Malachite Z) Labradorite

Answer 231

Z

Question 232

232) Which of the following moons has the highest surface albedo? W) Phobos X) Europa Y) Io Z) Enceladus

Answer 232

Z

Question 233

233) Which of the following is NOT a type of fine-grained igneous rock? W) Rhyolite X) Peridotite Y) Komatite Z) Basalt

Answer 233

X

Question 234

234) What type of geomorphic feature forms on the outside of a river bend?

Answer 234

Cut bank

Question 235

235) Which of the following objects is likely to have the lowest albedo? W) Weathered granite X) Sea ice Y) Fresh basalt Z) Rainforest canopy

Answer 235

Y

Question 236

236) Which of the following describes when flooding is most likely to occur as the result of a slow moving, relatively long term, moderate rain event? W) After the rain has ended X) After it has been raining for about an hour Y) After it has been raining for a few hours Z) At the beginning of the rainstorm

Answer 236

W

Question 237

237) The aurora borealis, or northern lights, would not be observed if Earth lacked which of the following? W) Oxygen in its atmosphere X) A moon Y) A magnetic field Z) High altitude clouds

Answer 237

Y

Question 238

238) A convergent fault, such as the large one at the front of the Himalayan Mountains, forms in which type of stress environment?

Answer 238

Compression

Question 239

239) Mars is observed to have a very thin atmosphere compared to Earth. Which of the following statements does NOT help explain this difference? W) Mars is further from the Sun than Earth X) Mars is smaller than Earth Y) Mars has less geothermal activity than Earth Z) Mars is cooler than Earth

Answer 239

W

Question 240

240) What do hatchured lines on a topographic map indicate?

Answer 240

A depression

Question 241

241) In order for a star to enter a supernova phase, it must be which of the following? W) Very massive X) Very young Y) Very cool Z) Very distant

Answer 241

W

Question 242

242) The Sun is now transitioning from a “quiet” portion of the solar cycle to an “active” portion. Which of the following indicates this is occurring? W) There are much stronger aurora australis than aurora borealis X) Summer temperatures are higher Y) There are more sunspots Z) The speed of the solar wind has increased significantly

Answer 242

Y

Question 243

243) All except which of the following indicate that glaciers modified a landscape? W) Arêtes (read as: ah-RATES), cirques, and horns X) Moraines, drumlins, and kettle lakes Y) Glacial flour and glacial striations Z) Permanent rock folding

Answer 243

Z

Question 244

244) What are the two most abundant elements in Earth’s continental crust?

Answer 244

Oxygen and Silicon

Question 245

245) A rock is described as a bioclastic sedimentary rock. Of which of following could it be composed? W) Shell fragments X) Quartz grains Y) Peat moss Z) Massive gypsum

Answer 245

W

Question 246

246) What are the bulbous cyanobacteria colonies called that are thought to be the oldest fossilized structures known on Earth?

Answer 246

Stromatolites

Question 247

247) Gamma rays released during the Sun’s fusion would take thousands of years to reach the Sun’s surface from which of the following solar layers? W) Core X) Radiative zone Y) Convective zone Z) Photosphere

Answer 247

W

Question 248

248) A pair of binoculars is labeled 7 x 50; the 7 specifies the magnification. What precisely is indicated by the 50?

Answer 248

An aperture of 50 millimeters

Question 249

249) During what era in the geologic time scale did the majority of life exist in the Earth’s oceans?

Answer 249

Paleozoic

Question 250

250) Providing your answer in degrees to the nearest tenth, what is the most northerly latitude at which the Sun can be seen directly overhead?

Answer 250

23.5

Question 251

251) As Earth rotates, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and other constellations in the northern sky appear to circle around what star?

Answer 251

Polaris

Question 252

252) With regard to the existence of life, which of the following ocean zones is the harshest? W) Hadal X) Neritic Y) Pelagic Z) Bathyal

Answer 252

W

Question 253

253) The spectrum of electromagnetic energy emitted by a black body is determined by which of the following? W) Material X) Temperature Y) Size Z) A combination of material and size

Answer 253

X

Question 254

254) Early 1800’s scientist Luke Howard first classified what natural atmospheric phenomenon?

Answer 254

Clouds

Question 255

255) Which of the following rock types is most likely to preserve fossils? W) Sandstone X) Shale Y) Marble Z) Slate

Answer 255

X

Question 256

256) What two planets in our solar system do NOT have a moon?

Answer 256

Mercury and Venus

Question 257

257) Given a parcel of air that is saturated with water, which of the following statements is NOT correct? W) Its relative humidity is 100% X) Its dew point is equal to the current temperature Y) If you raised the temperature, its relative humidity would decrease Z) If you lowered the temperature, its relative humidity would decrease

Answer 257

Z

Question 258

258) By name or number, put the following three Earth eons in order from most ancient to most recent: 1) Phanerozoic, 2) Archean, 3) Proterozoic.

Answer 258

Archean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic

Question 259

259) If you walked the full extent of each of the following lines, which would be the shortest in length? W) 0° Latitude X) 0° Longitude Y) 45°N Latitude Z) 45°E Longitude

Answer 259

Y

Question 260

260) Which of the following pairs of rocks are formed by volcanic froth creating a vesicular texture? W) Obsidian (read as: ohb-SI-dee-ahn) and pumice X) Pumice and scoria Y) Scoria and shale Z) Feldspar and quartz

Answer 260

X

Question 261

261) Which of the following is the name of the glacial deposit that is formed as a stream flows underneath a glacier? W) Drumlin X) Kame (read as: CAME) Y) Esker Z) Erratic

Answer 261

Y

Question 262

262) Which of the following best represents why two igneous rocks may have the same minerals but different names? W) Found in different places X) Different sizes Y) Different colors Z) Different textures

Answer 262

Z

Question 263

263) Where is the water along a stream's meander expected to move most quickly? W) Along the bottom waters X) Along the surface waters Y) Along the outside bank Z) Along the inside bank

Answer 263

Y

Question 264

264) Igneous rocks that contain the last minerals to crystallize from magma, and consist mainly of sodium and potassium feldspars and quartz are said to have which of the following compositions? W) Lithic X) Mafic Y) Felsic Z) Gneissic

Answer 264

Y

Question 265

265) Soils that have an abundance of which of the following generally have the greatest rate of permeability? W) Sand X) Silt Y) Clay Z) Humus

Answer 265

W

Question 266

266) Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, has an average temperature far below the triple point of water. Instead, it has solid, liquid, and vapor phases of what compound?

Answer 266

Methane

Question 267

267) What occurs when air is rapidly superheated by lightning and expands, cools, and then contracts?

Answer 267

Thunder

Question 268

268) Due to the presence of folds in the Appalachian Mountains, what type of drainage would you expect to find there?

Answer 268

Trellis

Question 269

269) The presence of clays on the surface of Mars strongly suggests the past presence of what substance?

Answer 269

Liquid water

Question 270

270) You look at a thin section of a sedimentary rock composed of quartz, plagioclase (read as: PLAY-jee-oh-klays), and amphibole (read as: AHM(P)-fi-bōel) grains surrounded by calcite cement. Which of those minerals formed last?

Answer 270

Calcite cement

Question 271

271) Which of the following nutrients is most likely to benefit photosynthesizers in an upwelling region? W) Iron X) Oxygen Y) Nitrate Z) Magnesium

Answer 271

Y

Question 272

272) Which of the following structures weakens rock, sometimes causing landslides? W) Bedding plane X) Concretions Y) Inselburg Z) Mudcracks

Answer 272

W

Question 273

273) Which of the following types of drainage is formed as streams flow toward a central depression? W) Rectangular X) Dendritic Y) Centripetal Z) Radial

Answer 273

Y

Question 274

274) What modern scientific instrument is typically used to measure wind direction and speed?

Answer 274

Anemometer

Question 275

275) Which of the following minerals has a cubic, or isometric, crystal system? W) Quartz X) Pyrite Y) Gypsum Z) Muscovite

Answer 275

X

Question 276

276) Which of the following materials has a Moh’s hardness between 3 and 4? W) Apatite X) Wire nail Y) Fingernail Z) Copper penny

Answer 276

Z

Question 277

277) On a topographic map, you see a feature represented by a set of concentric circles. The outermost circle is labeled 1,000, and the innermost circle is labeled 1,300. You are most likely looking at which of the following features? W) Cliff X) River Y) Basin Z) Hill

Answer 277

Z

Question 278

278) Which of the following is NOT a reasonable line of evidence for a global cooling event? W) Glacial tills at low latitudes X) Heightened sea levels Y) Reduced photosynthesis Z) Reduced hydrologic cycle

Answer 278

X

Question 279

279) At which of the following internal Earth boundaries do mantle plumes occur? W) Inner core/outer core boundary X) Athenosphere/lithosphere boundary Y) Mantle/outer core boundary Z) Mantle/crust boundary

Answer 279

Y

Question 280

280) Which of the following sets of states are included as a part of “tornado alley”? W) Texas, Kansas, and Missouri X) Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia Y) Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona Z) Mississippi, Georgia, and Kansas

Answer 280

W

Question 281

281) Hadley and Ferrel atmospheric cells are the result of what kind of heat transport?

Answer 281

Convection

Question 282

282) What is the term for breakage along planes of weak bonding that produces distinctive, smooth, flat surfaces?

Answer 282

Cleavage

Question 283

283) What are the three gases that primarily compose Uranus’s atmosphere?

Answer 283

Hydrogen, Helium, and Methane

Question 284

284) The Solar System is believed to have formed following the collapse of which of the following? W) A galactic core X) A globular cluster Y) A neutron star Z) A molecular cloud

Answer 284

Z

Question 285

285) Name the three types of tectonic plate boundaries.

Answer 285

Convergent, divergent, and transform

Question 286

286) What kind of rock fragments are produced when magma is torn apart by volcanic eruptions?

Answer 286

Pyroclasts

Question 287

287) What was the name of the space probe, launched in 2001, that orbited Mars to measure elements in its crust and search for signs of water?

Answer 287

Mars oddyssey

Question 288

288) Which of the following types of sediments came from shells and skeletons of animals? W) Terrigenous X) Sulfurous Y) Hydrogenous Z) Calcareous

Answer 288

Z

Question 289

289) What are the names of the two irregularly shaped moons of Mars?

Answer 289

Phobos and Deimos

Question 290

290) Which of the following is an example of a well-known group of extinct marine arthropods that existed in abundance during the lower Paleozoic? W) Brachiopods X) Ammonites Y) Trilobites Z) Nautiluses

Answer 290

Y

Question 291

291) If due north is 0°, what degree is the intercardinal direction southwest?

Answer 291

225°

Question 292

292) Which of the following characteristics is generally NOT used for classification of ocean waves? W) Disturbing force X) Wavelength Y) Wave height Z) Restoring force

Answer 292

Y

Question 293

293) Which of the following is a characteristic of a turbidite? W) Graded bedding X) Lived during the Cambrian Y) Found in alkaline bodies of water Z) Often found in caves

Answer 293

W

Question 294

294) What is the prevailing wind direction between 9 and 25 degrees north in the trade wind belt of the Pacific Ocean?

Answer 294

East northeast

Question 295

295) A rock contains a radioactive substance with a half life of 15,000 years. After 87.5% has decayed, how many years have passed?

Answer 295

45,000

Question 296

296) Water ice is NOT thought to be present on which of the following celestial bodies? W) Mars X) Venus Y) Earth’s moon Z) Europa

Answer 296

X

Question 297

297) In what geologic eras, respectively, were the following three geologic periods: 1) Siderian, 2) Jurassic, 3) Paleogene?

Answer 297

Paloproterozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

Question 298

298) What major nonsilicate rock-forming mineral is the primary constituent of limestone?

Answer 298

Calcite

Question 299

299) What is the main mineral component of Gabbro?

Answer 299

Plagioclase feldspar

Question 300

300) The Yellowstone Volcano is created by what type of anomalously hot volcanic center?

Answer 300

Mantle plume

Question 301

301) If when viewing the Moon in the Southern Hemisphere, the crescent's endpoints point toward the observer's right side, what will be the next phase of the Moon?

Answer 301

Quarter moon---------------------

Question 302

302) Which of the following types of maps would show the most accurate representation of the entire surface of the Earth? W) Mercator projection X) Equal-area projection Y) Globe Z) Contour projection

Answer 302

Y

Question 303

303) Which of the following is the best explanation of how rift valleys are formed? W) The scouring of bedrock as glaciers retreat X) Tectonic divergence Y) The accumulation of glacial deposits deposited as glaciers retreat Z) A wide river scours out the land then shifts direction

Answer 303

X

Question 304

304) In approximately 5.5 billion years, our Sun will move to which next phase in its life cycle?

Answer 304

Red giant

Question 305

305) Which of the following cosmic phenomena gave rise to most of the iron found on Earth? W) Red giants X) Supernovae Y) Quasars Z) Pulsars

Answer 305

X

Question 306

306) """What is the name of the artificial satellite, launched in 1957, that was a partial cause for the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

Answer 306

Sputnik

Question 307

307) The size of a wind-generated wave formed in open ocean depends on which of the following pairs of characteristics of wind? W) Strength and duration X) Strength and direction Y) Fetch and direction Z) Fetch and temperature

Answer 307

W

Question 308

308) In Earth's interior, where temperature and pressures are high, what is the term for molten rock?

Answer 308

Magma

Question 309

309) Extremely coarse grained igneous rocks, with minerals larger than 1 inch, are evidence of which of the following? W) Volcanic rocks with previously formed crystals X) Volcanic rocks cooled rapidly along ocean floor fissures Y) Magma cooling with high volatile content Z) Magma cooling quickly to form aplite

Answer 309

Y

Question 310

310) What type of coal is extremely hard and brittle, is almost pure carbon, and gives off a great amount of heat when it burns?

Answer 310

Anthracite

Question 311

311) Which of the following are the dark debris lines down the center of glaciers caused by rocks scoured from surrounding valley walls? W) Cirques [SURKS] X) Horns Y) Arêtes [uh-REYTS] Z) Medial moraines

Answer 311

Z

Question 312

312) What is the name for the lines on a weather map that join places of the same air pressure?

Answer 312

Isobars

Question 313

313) Which combination of characteristics allows the greatest amount of water to permeate the ground? W) Steep slopes, silty soils, and cool temperatures X) Low slopes, sandy soils, and cool temperatures Y) Steep slopes, sandy soils, and hot temperatures Z) Low slopes, clay-rich soils, and hot temperatures

Answer 313

X

Question 314

314) In which of the following locations is the densest ocean water on Earth found? W) Mediterranean Sea X) Off the coast of Antarctica Y) Off the coast of Peru Z) Off the coast of Hawaii

Answer 314

X

Question 315

315) What group of minerals has the following characteristics: 1) they can be gemstones or abrasives; 2) they are found in many colors; 3) they have a hardness of about 6.5 to 7.5; and 4) they are nesosilicates

Answer 315

Garnet

Question 316

316) A psychrometer is used by meteorologists to most directly measure which of the following?

Answer 316

Relative humidity

Question 317

317) If you were to build a pond in your back yard, which of the following materials should you use to line the bottom of the pond? W) Clay X) Sand Y) Silt Z) A mixture of sand, silt, and clay

Answer 317

W

Question 318

318) Ice forming over a dark ocean induces further cooling by changing what reflective property of the surface?

Answer 318

Albedo

Question 319

319) Which of the following numbers represents apatite on Moh’s scale of hardness? W) 2 X) 3 Y) 4 Z) 5

Answer 319

Z

Question 320

320) What shape best describes Earth’s current orbit around the Sun?

Answer 320

Ellipse

Question 321

321) Methane in the atmosphere will react with sunlight and oxygen to form what gas?

Answer 321

Carbon dioxide

Question 322

322) Cows and termites are able to digest cellulose with the help of special microorganisms that produce large quantities of which greenhouse gas?

Answer 322

Methane

Question 323

323) Hydraulic fracturing is a natural gas mining technique that targets what kind of sedimentary rock?

Answer 323

Shale

Question 324

324) Which of the following types of proxy evidence used in studying climate change chronicles the longest climate record? W) Ocean sediment cores X) Lake sediment cores Y) Tree rings Z) Ice sheet cores

Answer 324

W

Question 325

325) What is the name of the mineral that makes up both rubies and sapphires?

Answer 325

Corundum

Question 326

326) Which of the following statements is NOT true about the jet stream? W) It is found at the altitude at which winds are the strongest X) It is strongest when there is a large temperature contrast between two air masses Y) It is usually composed of easterly winds Z) It is caused by a combination of the Earth’s rotation on its axis and atmospheric heating

Answer 326

Y

Question 327

327) Which of the following NASA missions has a primary objective to map variations in Earth’s gravity field? W) GRACE X) LAGEOS Y) Nimbus Z) SMAP

Answer 327

W

Question 328

328) Compared to continental crust, oceanic crust melts at which of the following? W) Lower temperatures X) The same temperature Y) Higher temperatures Z) Higher pressures and temperatures

Answer 328

Y

Question 329

329) Which of the following sets of two variables controls how fast a soil forms? W) Type of parent rock and climate X) Type and age of parent rock Y) Temperature and pressure Z) Residual and transported soil

Answer 329

W

Question 330

330) Many lakes in agricultural regions are eutrophic [yoo-TRO-fik] due to which of the following? W) Excessive nutrients X) Minimal algae growth Y) Increased number of irrigation wells Z) Excessive sunlight

Answer 330

W

Question 331

331) Which of the following statements is NOT true about the recently discovered circumbinary planet? W) It orbits two stars X) It is about 200 light years from Earth Y) It was detected by the James Webb space telescope Z) It is cold and gaseous

Answer 331

Y

Question 332

332) Which of the following ocean life zones contains the least variety of ocean life? W) Intertidal X) Neritic Y) Bathyal Z) Abyssal

Answer 332

Z

Question 333

333) What weather phenomenon has the following characteristics: 1) large-scale wind circulation around a central region of high atmospheric pressure; 2) it circulates clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere; 3) it usually advances at 20 to 30 miles per hour.""

Answer 333

Anticyclone

Question 334

334) What planet in our solar system has retrograde rotation?

Answer 334

Venus (also accept Uranus)

Question 335

335) What is the name of the largest calving glacier in North America?

Answer 335

Hubbard glacier

Question 336

336) Who, from the Western history of science, first proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system? W) Galileo X) Kepler Y) Aristarchus Z) Hubble

Answer 336

Y

Question 337

337) Which of the following rocks tends to break into parallel layers or sheets? W) Quartzite X) Granite Y) Schist Z) Marble

Answer 337

Y

Question 338

338) Pluto and Charon are which of the following? W) Extremely different in mass X) Satellites of gas giant planets Y) In different equatorial planes Z) In synchronous rotation

Answer 338

Z

Question 339

339) NASA’S James Webb Space Telescope has telescope mirrors coated with a microscopically thin layer of what element, selected for its ability to effectively reflect infrared light from the mirrors into the observatory’s science instruments?

Answer 339

Gold

Question 340

340) Which of the following is most closely associated with a cold front? W) Short, intense downpours X) Drizzle or steady rain Y) Rise in temperature Z) Cirrus clouds

Answer 340

W

Question 341

341) Which of the following statements best explains why it can become very hot in the deep shaft of a mine? W) There is little air circulation X) There is a lot of magma near mines Y) There is a natural geothermal gradient within Earth’s crust Z) Mines extend deep into Earth’s mantle

Answer 341

Y

Question 342

342) Which of the following is a characteristic of an area with Karst topography? W) Sinkholes X) Mountains Y) Eskers Z) Canyons

Answer 342

W

Question 343

343) Which of the following is NOT a compositional classification of a magma? W) Phaneritic X) Rhyolitic Y) Andesitic Z) Basaltic

Answer 343

W

Question 344

344) There are many beautiful colors in an aurora. Which of the following primarily determines the colors you see? W) Whether you are observing the aurora borealis or the aurora australis X) What atoms or molecules the solar wind ions collide with Y) What time of night it is Z) How close you are to city light

Answer 344

X

Question 345

345) Which greenhouse gas is most abundant, yet is not significantly increasing due to human activity?"""

Answer 345

Water vapor

Question 346

346) Halley’s Comet, a famous short-period comet, was last visible from Earth in 1986. In which of the following years will it be visible from Earth again? W) 2016 X) 2061 Y) 2099 Z) 2260

Answer 346

X

Question 347

347) What is the name of the group of large fissure basalt flows found covering a great portion of the Pacific Northwest?

Answer 347

Columbia river basalts

Question 348

348) When a meteoroid passes through Earth’s atmosphere, what is the term for the transient visible streak in the sky it leaves behind?

Answer 348

Meteor

Question 349

349) What layer separates the crust and the mantle?

Answer 349

Mohorovicic discontinuity

Question 350

350) If the Earth were to suddenly gain mass, it would need to do which of the following in order to maintain its current distance from the Sun? W) Accelerate X) Decelerate Y) Increase the eccentricity of its orbit Z) Nothing

Answer 350

Z

Question 351

351) Which of the following volcanoes erupted in 1915? W) St. Helens X) Hood Y) Lassen Z) Shasta

Answer 351

Y

Question 352

352) What are the two most abundant ions found in seawater?

Answer 352

Chloride and Sodium

Question 353

353) Which of the following environments is most likely to host a community of methane producing organisms? W) Hydrothermal vents X) The upper ocean Y) Leaf litter in the forest Z) A fast moving stream

Answer 353

W

Question 354

354) Which of the following is the thickest layer of Earth’s interior? W) Crust X) Mantle Y) Outer core Z) Inner core

Answer 354

X

Question 355

355) Radioactive isotopes from which of the following elements would be most useful for dating very old rocks? W) Lead X) Uranium Y) Carbon Z) Hydrogen

Answer 355

X

Question 356

356) Which of the following minerals is capable of scratching garnet? W) Gold X) Corundum Y) Apatite Z) Pyrite

Answer 356

X

Question 357

357) What kind of foliated metamorphic rock with a lustrous silver-colored and sometimes wrinkled surface is made up of very finely-grained mica?

Answer 357

Phyllite

Question 358

358) Peridotite and dunite have which of the following compositions? W) Felsic X) Intermediate Y) Ultramafic Z) Mafic

Answer 358

Y

Question 359

359) Which of the following elements is able to escape Earth’s gravitational field in significant amounts? W) Radon X) Argon Y) Oxygen Z) Hydrogen

Answer 359

Z

Question 360

360) Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Novarupa eruption of 1912? W) It became the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century X) It erupted for about 60 hours Y) It created the world’s most extensive ignimbrite Z) It originated at Mount Katmai

Answer 360

Z

Question 361

361) The gyroradius of a charged particle describes the radius of the circular motion the particle executes as it gyrates around what?

Answer 361

Magnetic field line

Question 362

362) Which of the following statements is true about the crustal magnetic fields of Mars?"" W) They protect the areas near them from space weathering X) They merge to create a very weak global magnetic field Y) They only cover the polar caps Z) They only cover craters

Answer 362

W

Question 363

363) What is the term for the ability, most commonly observed in birds, to detect a magnetic field to perceive direction, altitude, or location?

Answer 363

Magnetoception

Question 364

364) Which of the following layers within the Earth is undergoing convection? W) Lithosphere X) Crust Y) Asthenosphere Z) Inner core

Answer 364

Y

Question 365

365) In trying to identify an unknown rock, you place a drop of hydrochloric acid on the rock and note that it fizzes. Which of the following is likely to be the rock? W) Granite X) Pumice Y) Limestone Z) Schist

Answer 365

Y

Question 366

366) Which of the following is considered a low latitude climate? W) Taiga X) Savannah Y) Deciduous forest Z) Chaparral

Answer 366

X

Question 367

367) What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?

Answer 367

Spiral

Question 368

368) During which month is the Earth farthest from the Sun?

Answer 368

July

Question 369

369) Sunspots occur when the magnetic field lines at the Sun’s surface become twisted up over time and reconnect. What process on the surface of the Sun causes this twisting?

Answer 369

Differential rotation

Question 370

370) Which of the following is the most common type of galaxy in the universe? W) Irregular X) Elliptical Y) Spiral Z) Barred spiral

Answer 370

X

Question 371

371) Which of the following groups contains the most stars on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram? W) White dwarfs X) Blue supergiants Y) Red dwarfs Z) Hypergiants

Answer 371

Y

Question 372

372) The Coriolis effect causes southern bound currents in the southern hemisphere to do which of the following? W) Curve toward the east X) Curve toward the west Y) Move in a less circular pattern Z) Move downward

Answer 372

W

Question 373

373) The Clean Water Act of 1972 focused on reducing which of the following types of pollution? W) Thermal X) Acid rain Y) Sewage Z) Pesticide

Answer 373

Y

Question 374

374) In hydrothermal vent communities, energy production in the food web is based on which of the following? W) Blue green algae X) Photosynthetic bacteria Y) Chemosynthetic bacteria Z) Brown algae

Answer 374

Y

Question 375

375) Which of the following conditions could result from overgrazing of livestock? W) Soil formation X) Desertification Y) Aggregate buildup Z) Chemical precipitation

Answer 375

X

Question 376

376) Approximately how many years ago was the last magnetic pole reversal? W) 1200 X) 780,000 Y) 2.5 million Z) 680 million

Answer 376

X

Question 377

377) Which of the following igneous rock textures would NOT be considered an intrusive texture? W) Phaneritic X) Pegmatitic Y) Aplitic Z) Aphanitic

Answer 377

Z

Question 378

378) Which of the following is a type of dune that forms at right angles to the wind when there is abundant sand, a lack of vegetation, and a constant wind direction? W) Barchan X) Transverse Y) Parabolic Z) Star

Answer 378

W

Question 379

379) Suppose you find a rock with angular clasts. Which of the following is the correct classification? W) Breccia X) Conglomerate Y) Slate Z) Basalt

Answer 379

W

Question 380

380) What region on the edge of the solar system contains masses of ice and icy rock and is believed to be the source of short period comets?

Answer 380

Kuiper Belt

Question 381

381) Put the following four ocean floor features and zones in the order you are likely to encounter them as you sail from the coast of North Carolina toward Bermuda: 1) continental slope, 2) open ocean, 3) intertidal zone, 4) neritic zone

Answer 381

3412

Question 382

382) The presence of which of the following compounds helps stabilize the pH of the ocean? W) Calcium carbonate X) Calcium chloride Y) Sodium chloride Z) Magnesium chloride

Answer 382

W

Question 383

383) Which of the following rocks would be the best choice for use as a building material, considering its resistance to chemical weathering? W) Limestone X) Pyrite Y) Granite Z) Shale

Answer 383

Y

Question 384

384) Which of the following is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching? W) Hardness X) Streak Y) Luster Z) Fracture

Answer 384

W

Question 385

385) Moraines, drumlins, and eskers are depositional features caused by which of the following? W) Wind X) Glaciers Y) Gravity Z) Waves

Answer 385

X

Question 386

386) Which of the following energy sources is derived from living things? W) Uranium X) Peat Y) Steam Z) Photons

Answer 386

X

Question 387

387) In mechanical weathering, aeolian processes most affect which type of dry, low latitude environment?

Answer 387

Desert

Question 388

388) Which of the following mineral properties can be unreliable? W) Color X) Cleavage Y) Density Z) Crystal Form

Answer 388

W

Question 389

389) A Sverdrup is a measure of flow for ocean currents equal to 1,000,000 cubic meters per second. If flow of the Amazon River is 200,000 cubic meters per second, how many Sverdrups is this to one decimal place?

Answer 389

0.2

Question 390

390) The main Hawaiian Islands are the tops of giant undersea volcanoes. What type of volcanoes are they?

Answer 390

Shield volcanoes

Question 391

391) Which of the following is considered a non-metallic mineral resource? W) Chromite X) Magnetite Y) Quartz Z) Platinum

Answer 391

Y

Question 392

392) What mountain chain composes the majority of the Western Continental Divide in North America?

Answer 392

The Rocky Mountains

Question 393

393) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of estuaries? W) Bottom dominated by course sands X) Physical connection to the ocean Y) Physical connection with a freshwater source Z) Lower average water salinity than ocean water

Answer 393

W

Question 394

394) What adjective describes an air parcel when it reaches a relative humidity of 100%?

Answer 394

Saturated

Question 395

395) In fluvial systems, what is the name of the crescent-shaped lake that is formed when a meander of a river is cut off from the main channel?

Answer 395

Oxbow Lake

Question 396

396) The spring 2011 earthquake in Japan occurred because Japan is located on which of the following? W) A spreading center X) A rift zone Y) A subduction zone Z) A mantle plume

Answer 396

Y

Question 397

397) It is common for roads in mid latitudes to develop severe potholes after the spring thaw. What form of mechanical weathering is responsible?

Answer 397

Freezing and thawing

Question 398

398) Which of the following is the name for the hills made from glacial drift and deposited by meltwater from retreating glaciers? W) Kettle X) Drumlin Y) Kame Z) Esker

Answer 398

Y

Question 399

399) Disappearing streams, dolines, sink holes, and caves are distinctive features in northern Florida, central Tennessee, and south-central Kentucky and, are indicative of what kind of topography?

Answer 399

Karst

Question 400

400) Which of the following is characteristic of all plankton? W) Microscopic X) Single-celled Y) Limited in mobility Z) Photosynthetic

Answer 400

Y

Question 401

401) What is the name for igneous rock that cuts across the structure of adjoining rock, usually as a result of magma intrusion?

Answer 401

Dike

Question 402

402) The largest shield volcano in our solar system, Olympus Mons, is located on which planet?

Answer 402

Mars

Question 403

403) On which of the following types of volcanoes is scoria commonly found? W) Shield volcano X) Composite volcano Y) Cinder cone Z) Fissure vents

Answer 403

Y

Question 404

404) What is the name of the large transform boundary found in western California?

Answer 404

San Andreas fault

Question 405

405) Which of the following cloud types is most commonly associated with major thunderstorms? W) Nimbostratus X) Cumulonimbus Y) Cirrus Z) Stratus

Answer 405

X

Question 406

406) What type of weathering is defined by disintegration of rock into smaller and smaller fragments, each with the same properties of the original?

Answer 406

Mechanical

Question 407

407) What is the name of a rock or boulder that differs from the surrounding rock and is believed to have been brought from a distance through glacial action?

Answer 407

Erratic

Question 408

408) What type of tectonic plate environment is found off the coast of the Pacific Northwest and creates the Cascade Mountain chain?

Answer 408

Subduction zone

Question 409

409) Which of the following does NOT typically happen when a moist prevailing wind hits a mountain range? W) A rain shadow occurs on the leeward side of the mountain X) Leeward airmass subsidence and warming results Y) As air moves up the windward side of the mountain, it expands and warms Z) The windward side of a mountain receives a lot of rain

Answer 409

Y

Question 410

410) Index fossils are most useful for which of the following reasons? W) They lived during only one short period of time X) They are not geographically widespread Y) They provide high resolution carbon isotope-based date ranges Z) They are not prone to weathering

Answer 410

W

Question 411

411) What happens to rain water when sulfur and nitrogen oxides released by burning fossil fuels combine with water vapor in the air? W) It becomes acidic X) It becomes warmer than normal Y) It becomes more regionally concentrated Z) It becomes a buffering agent

Answer 411

W

Question 412

412) Which of the following statements is NOT true about Antarctica? W) It has long periods of constant darkness X) Much of the sunlight it receives is reflected back to space Y) Cold air masses are continuously flowing off of the Antarctic ice cap Z) A great amount of snow falls in Antarctica

Answer 412

Z

Question 413

413) The geysers and hot springs found in Yellowstone Park are likely heated by which of the following? W) The mantle X) Local magma chambers Y) Crustal fault friction Z) Crustal radiation

Answer 413

X

Question 414

414) The presence of fossilized marine organisms in rocks high above sea level is best explained by which of the following statements? W) They were once land animals X) They were carried there by other animals Y) They were once beneath the sea and tectonic processes raised the sediments Z) They were once part of a volcanic eruption

Answer 414

Y

Question 415

415) What kind of clouds are primarily composed of ice particles, form in the upper parts of thunderstorms, and have streaks of snow that fall from their edges?

Answer 415

Anvil

Question 416

416) Which of the following is the distance of one degree of longitude? W) 360 kilometers X) 111 kilometers Y) 60 kilometers Z) It varies from 111 kilometers to a point

Answer 416

Z

Question 417

417) What is the term for one of several bright spots 22 degrees on each side of the solar halo and at the same elevation as the Sun, caused by the diffraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere?

Answer 417

Parhelion

Question 418

418) If illuminated by the same light source, which of the following surfaces will emit the most infrared radiation? W) Asphalt X) Granite Y) Ice Z) A green lawn

Answer 418

W

Question 419

419) When the Moon, Earth, and Sun are aligned, what kinds of tides occur?

Answer 419

Spring tides

Question 420

420) The Martian surface is red because iron contained in Martian rocks has reacted with what element?

Answer 420

Oxygen

Question 421

421) Interactions between the magnetic field and charged particles from the Sun produce what phenomenon in the southern hemisphere?

Answer 421

Aurora Australis

Question 422

422) Which of the following types of tectonic plate boundary is NOT associated with magma formation? W) Convergent X) Divergent Y) Transform Z) Subvergent

Answer 422

Y

Question 423

423) Which of the following best describes the way an air mass would flow? W) From an area of high to an area of low pressure X) From an area of low to an area of high pressure Y) Perpendicular to a line drawn between a maximum and minimum pressure Z) Independently of pressure

Answer 423

W

Question 424

424) Which of the following statements is NOT true about rock folding in the Earth’s crust? W) Brittle conditions tend to occur near the surface X) Folding of rock is more likely to occur in brittle rocks Y) If rocks become extremely hot during compression, they are more likely to fold than fault Z) If rocks are exposed to extremely high pressures, they are more likely to fold than fault

Answer 424

X

Question 425

425) What kind of weather satellite is in relatively low altitude orbit and images the same location on Earth every twelve hours?

Answer 425

Polar-orbiting

Question 426

426) Which of the following is an area of high land, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain, sometimes formed by upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, or erosion by water and glaciers? W) Coastal plain X) Interior plain Y) Plateau Z) Mountain

Answer 426

Y

Question 427

427) What is the term for a rotating column of wind extending from the base of a cloud but not reaching the ground or water surface, often associated with thunderstorms?

Answer 427

Funnel cloud

Question 428

428) Which of the following types of weather front is indicated by an alternating red and blue line on a weather map? W) Warm X) Cold Y) Stationary Z) Low pressure

Answer 428

Y

Question 429

429) What is the phrase that refers to the tendency for a city or town to remain warmer than its surroundings, mostly caused by lack of vegetation and soil moisture?

Answer 429

Urban heat island

Question 430

430) What category of hurricane would have winds of 111 to 130 miles per hour, and would cause extensive damage, such as damage to small buildings, knocking down large trees, and destroying mobile homes?

Answer 430

3

Question 431

431) Which of the following statements is NOT true about hurricanes? W) They are intense low pressure areas X) They gradually die as they move over warmer waters Y) They have warm air in their eyes Z) They generally form in the summer and early fall

Answer 431

X

Question 432

432) Which form of energy can coincide with tectonic plate boundaries?

Answer 432

Geothermal

Question 433

433) Which of the following is the approximate percentage of silica in basaltic lava? W) 50% X) 60% Y) 70% Z) 80%

Answer 433

X

Question 434

434) Which of the following types of rock would have the greatest permeability? W) Sandstone X) Shale Y) Claystone Z) Limestone

Answer 434

W

Question 435

435) The Sun contains the vast majority of the mass in the solar system at 99.9%. What is the location of most of the remaining 0.1% mass in the solar system?

Answer 435

Jupiter

Question 436

436) Which of the following is NOT a process involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks? W) Compaction X) Cementation Y) Melting Z) Lithification

Answer 436

Y

Question 437

437) At a depth of 2,900 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, P seismic waves slow down rapidly and S seismic waves disappear. This indicates that 2,900 kilometers is the beginning of which of the following layers? W) Solid iron X) Solid nickel Y) Liquid iron and nickel Z) Solid iron and nickel

Answer 437

Y

Question 438

438) At which of the following latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere will the Sun be directly overhead at solar noon on the summer solstice? W) Equator X) Tropic of Capricorn Y) Tropic of Cancer Z) North Pole

Answer 438

Y

Question 439

439) Which process allows water to move from plants to the atmosphere?

Answer 439

Transpiration

Question 440

440) What satellite of Jupiter is considered to be the most volcanically active body in our solar system?

Answer 440

Io

Question 441

441) Which of the following is the adiabatic lapse rate of a dry air parcel for every kilometer it rises? W) 5° Fahrenheit X) 5° Celsius Y) 10° Fahrenheit Z) 10° Celsius

Answer 441

Z

Question 442

442) If magma is cooled slowly, what generalization could you make about crystal size?

Answer 442

Larger

Question 443

443) Which of the following types of horizontal magma intrusion is lens-shaped? W) Dike X) Sill Y) Laccolith Z) Batholith

Answer 443

Y

Question 444

444) What is the most abundant element in Earth’s crust?

Answer 444

Oxygen

Question 445

445) Which of the following processes is a type of chemical weathering? W) Mineral dissolution X) Frost-wedging Y) Pressure unloading Z) Organism action

Answer 445

W

Question 446

446) Which of the following types of electromagnetic energy is least likely to make it through Earth’s atmosphere? W) X-rays X) Microwave radiation Y) Ultraviolet radiation Z) Radio waves

Answer 446

W

Question 447

447) Which of the following was NOT cited by Wegner as evidence for continental drift? W) The continents fit together X) Fossils are similar on South America and Africa Y) Matching paleoclimate indicators on South America and Africa Z) Similar bathymetry of the sea floor on opposite sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Answer 447

Z

Question 448

448) The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone is an ocean region with extremely low dissolved oxygen. What is the primary cause of this Dead Zone? W) Oil drilling X) Deep ocean upwelling Y) High salt content Z) Agricultural run-off

Answer 448

Z

Question 449

449) Identify all of the following three solar system objects on which NASA has successfully soft-landed unmanned exploration vehicles: 1) Earth's Moon; 2) The planet Mercury; 3) The asteroid Eros.

Answer 449

1 and 3

Question 450

450) What part of the sun is normally visible from Earth? W) Core X) Photosphere Y) Corona Z) Solar nebula

Answer 450

X

Question 451

451) What two elements are the most abundant in the Earth's crust?

Answer 451

Oxygen and Silicon

Question 452

452) Which of the following contain the most groundwater? W) Caves and lakes X) Pores and cracks Y) Tubes and tunnels Z) Rivers and streams

Answer 452

X

Question 453

453) What layers of the Earth’s atmosphere are characterized by temperatures that increase with altitude?

Answer 453

Thermosphere and Stratosphere

Question 454

454) What is the term for an underground layer of permeable rock or loose sediments whose pore spaces are filled with water? W) Water table X) Aquifer Y) Well Z) Aquiclude

Answer 454

X

Question 455

455) Which of the following describes one way that changes in land use may exacerbate global warming? W) By increasing the pH of the oceans X) By sequestering carbon from the atmosphere Y) By releasing stored carbon to the atmosphere Z) By reducing the solar constant

Answer 455

Y

Question 456

456) Which of the following is true regarding plutonic rocks? W) They are often fine-grained X) They crystallized within the Earth’s crust Y) They have a glassy texture Z) They cooled very quickly

Answer 456

X

Question 457

457) If a simple river’s discharge is 400 meters cubed per second, and its velocity is 5 meters per second, in meters squared, what is its cross-sectional area?

Answer 457

80

Question 458

458) Which of the following elements is released during coal burning and contributes to acid rain? W) Nickel X) Sulfur Y) Hydrogen Z) Uranium

Answer 458

X

Question 459

459) Identify all of the following three statements that are true each June on the summer solstice: 1) Earth is at the closest point in its orbit to the Sun; 2) At noon in Washington D.C., a vertical stick will cast a shadow; 3) On the tropic of Capricorn, the noon sun angle is 90 degrees.

Answer 459

2

Question 460

460) What gas is the third most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere?

Answer 460

Argon

Question 461

461) Which of the following is closest to the average percent salinity of ocean water? W) 0.035 X) 0.35 Y) 3.5 Z) 35

Answer 461

Y

Question 462

462) Cepheid variables are most useful for determining which of the following? W) Age of another galaxy X) Distance to another galaxy Y) Density of another galaxy Z) Number of supernovae per year

Answer 462

X

Question 463

463) Which of the following is the underlying cause of most volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io? W) Meteor impacts X) Tidal forces Y) Plate tectonics Z) Weather patterns

Answer 463

X

Question 464

464) Which of the following bodies of water does an atoll usually enclose? W) Lake X) River Y) Swamp Z) Lagoon

Answer 464

Z

Question 465

465) Which of the following gases does NOT contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect? W) Methane X) Carbon dioxide Y) Nitrogen Z) Water vapor

Answer 465

Y

Question 466

466) What is the most abundant extrusive igneous rock in Earth's crust?

Answer 466

Basalt

Question 467

467) Which of the following is NOT true of continental glaciers? W) They form along mountain slopes at high elevations X) They have a lens-like shape Y) Their weight depresses the underlying land Z) They can be found in Antarctica and Greenland

Answer 467

W

Question 468

468) Identify all of the following three statements that are true about stars: 1) Red stars are cooler than blue stars; 2) The Sun is considered a yellow star; 3) The Sun’s surface temperature is approximately 60,000 kelvins.

Answer 468

One and two

Question 469

469) Which of the following is the largest unit of time on the geologic time scale? W) Eon X) Era Y) Period Z) Epoch

Answer 469

W

Question 470

470) What type of speleothem hangs from the ceiling?

Answer 470

Stalactites

Question 471

471) The rings of Saturn are mostly made of which of the following substances? W) Iron X) Ice Y) Rock Z) Gas

Answer 471

X

Question 472

472) Order the following four reservoirs of Earth's freshwater from the smallest to the largest : 1) Ice caps and glaciers; 2) Groundwater; 3) Atmosphere; 4) Lakes.

Answer 472

3421

Question 473

473) Which of Hubble’s four categories of galaxies does not have a distinct spiral or elliptical shape?

Answer 473

Irregular

Question 474

474) Which of the following types of plate tectonic boundaries is associated with shallow earthquakes, but not with volcanism? W) Convergent X) Divergent Y) Passive Z) Transform

Answer 474

Z

Question 475

475) What is the next brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius?

Answer 475

Canopus

Question 476

476) In which of the following rock types are you most likely to find cross-bedding? W) Sandstone X) Basalt Y) Gneiss Z) Granite

Answer 476

W

Question 477

477) Which of the following is NOT an evaporite mineral? W) Halite X) Gypsum Y) Corundum Z) Borax

Answer 477

Y

Question 478

478) Radiocarbon dating is a commonly used technique for determining the age of organic material. Which of the following numbers is closest to the age, in years, after which organic material is unsuitable for carbon dating?

Answer 478

X

Question 479

479) Which of the following materials should a geochronologist study to get the best estimate of the age of the Earth? W) Oldest continental crust X) Oldest oceanic crust Y) Lunar rock Z) Meteorites

Answer 479

Z

Question 480

480) Which of the following is TRUE of the apparent path of the Sun across the sky in the United States in June? W) The Sun rises North of East and sets North of West X) The Sun rises North of East and sets South of West Y) The Sun rises South of East and sets North of West Z) The Sun rises South of East and sets South of West

Answer 480

W

Question 481

481) Identify all of the following three statements about pulsars that are true: 1) They are rotating white dwarfs; 2) There are four in our Solar System; 3) They were discovered by Jocelyn Bell.

Answer 481

3

Question 482

482) In 2012, what commercial spacecraft successfully flew to the International Space Station and back? W) Arecibo X) Dragon Y) Constellation Z) Vostok 1

Answer 482

X

Question 483

483) Arrange the following three units of distance from shortest to longest: 1) Astronomical unit; 2) Parsec; 3) Light-year.

Answer 483

132

Question 484

484) Which of the following sediment loads in a stream can be transported by saltation? W) Dissolved X) Suspended Y) Bed Z) Floating

Answer 484

Y

Question 485

485) Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding plate tectonics? W) The Mid-Atlantic ridge is a divergent plate boundary X) Convergent and transform boundaries are responsible for most major earthquakes Y) Approximately 75% of the world's volcanoes are associated with the circum-Pacific belt Z) The Juan de Fuca plate is diverging from the North American plate

Answer 485

Z

Question 486

486) Which of the following processes happens at the slowest rate? W) Rise and fall of tides X) Uplift of mountains Y) Recycling of seawater Z) Regrowth of burnt vegetation

Answer 486

X

Question 487

487) Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is a portion of what type of massive granitic intrusive igneous structure?

Answer 487

Batholith

Question 488

488) What type of coal has the highest carbon content? W) Lignite X) Bituminous Y) Anthracite Z) Peat

Answer 488

Z

Question 489

489) Through which of the following parts of Earth's interior would an S-wave NOT travel? W) Lithosphere X) Asthenosphere Y) Lower mantle Z) Outer core

Answer 489

Z

Question 490

490) The circumstellar habitable zone, or “Goldilocks Zone”, refers to the range of distances from a star within which what substance can exist on an orbiting planet’s surface? W) Oxygen gas X) Liquid water Y) Liquid methane Z) Water ice

Answer 490

X

Question 491

491) Which of the following is closest to the distance, in megaparsecs, from Earth to a galaxy that has an apparent radial velocity of 910 kilometers per second? W) 7 X) 10 Y) 13 Z) 16

Answer 491

Y

Question 492

492) What anion is the most common form of dissolved inorganic carbon in the Earth's oceans?

Answer 492

Bicarbonate

Question 493

493) What theoretical limit, approximately 1.4 solar masses, constrains the maximum mass that a white dwarf can attain?

Answer 493

Chandrasekhar limit

Question 494

494) Fulgurites are tubes of fused silica produced during what type of natural event?

Answer 494

Lightning

Question 495

495) Which of the following sectors of American society uses the greatest amount of freshwater? W) Agriculture X) Mining Y) Industry Z) Public use

Answer 495

W

Question 496

496) If you were looking at isobars on a weather map showing high latitudes and high altitudes, which of the following would indicate the fastest wind speed? W) 4-millibar lines over a 100-kilometer spacing X) 4-millibar lines over a 50-kilometer spacing Y) 2-millibar lines over a 100-kilometer spacing Z) 2-millibar lines over a 50-kilometer spacing

Answer 496

X

Question 497

497) Categorize the following three plate pairs by whether they meet at divergent, convergent, or transform boundaries: 1) North American and Eurasian plates; 2) Indian and Eurasian plates; 3) Australian and Pacific plates.

Answer 497

1-Divergent 2-Convergent 3-Convergent

Question 498

498) Which of the following best explains why the Mediterranean Sea is presently saltier than most marine bodies of water? W) Anthropogenic pollution X) Higher evaporation than precipitation Y) High surface run-off Z) No freshwater inputs

Answer 498

X

Question 499

499) Which of the following is NOT true of the Kuiper [KYE-pur] belt? W) It is smaller in size and mass than the asteroid belt X) It exists in a region of the solar system beyond the eight planets Y) The second Kuiper belt object was discovered in 1992 Z) Pluto is its largest known member

Answer 499

W

Question 500

500) Of what specific rock type are the lunar maria composed?

Answer 500

Basalt

Question 501

501) Order the following three organisms from oldest to newest by their occurence in the geologic record: 1) Tyrannosaurus rex; 2) Trilobite; 3) Australopithecus.

Answer 501

213

Question 502

502) Which of the four major oceans is the shallowest, on average? W) Arctic X) Atlantic Y) Indian Z) Pacific

Answer 502

W

Question 503

503) What non-luminous interstellar clouds are composed of neutral atomic hydrogen?

Answer 503

H-one regions

Question 504

504) Which of the following is NOT a mineral commonly associated with mafic igneous rocks? W) Orthoclase X) Olivine Y) Biotite Z) Clinopyroxene

Answer 504

W

Question 505

505) Identify all of the following three facts about the moon that are true: 1) The moon formed around 4.5 billion years ago; 2) The moon likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with the early Earth; 3) The distance between the Earth and the moon increases by approximately 4 centimeters each year.

Answer 505

123

Question 506

506) To maintain beaches that are rapidly losing sand to erosional processes, barriers are built at right angles to the beach to trap sand that is moving parallel to shore. What are these barriers called? W) Groins X) Breakwaters Y) Seawalls Z) Piers

Answer 506

W

Question 507

507) Identify all of the following three statements that are true of tornadoes: 1) All tornadoes in the United States rotate clockwise; 2) All tornadoes in Australia rotate clockwise; 3) Some tornadoes have multiple vortices.

Answer 507

3

Question 508

508) Identify all of the following three statements that are true regarding the K-T extinction event: 1) Most bony fish species went extinct during this time; 2) Most Cretaceous mammalian lineages went extinct during this time; 3) 20% of non-avian dinosaurs survived the K-T extinction.

Answer 508

None

Question 509

509) What is the primary reason for the movement of mass downslope during erosion? W) Friction X) Electricity Y) Gravity Z) Buoyancy

Answer 509

Y

Question 510

510) The main asteroid belt is located between the orbits of what two planets?

Answer 510

Mars and Jupiter

Question 511

511) What type of volcano is most commonly found in the Ring of Fire?

Answer 511

Strato/composite volcano

Question 512

512) Order the following four layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest elevation: 1) Thermosphere; 2) Troposphere; 3) Mesosphere; 4) Stratosphere.

Answer 512

2431

Question 513

513) The sun is predominantly composed of what element?

Answer 513

Hydrogen

Question 514

514) Which type of current is the Gulf Stream? W) Transverse current X) Eastern boundary current Y) Western boundary current Z) Density current

Answer 514

Y

Question 515

515) Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel? W) Coal X) Wood Y) Shale oil Z) Natural gas

Answer 515

X

Question 516

516) Identify all of the following four characteristics that are part of the definition of a mineral: 1) Specific crystal structure; 2) Invented in a laboratory; 3) Specific chemical composition; 4) Organic.

Answer 516

13

Question 517

517) What water cycle process causes water molecules to move from a lake and into the atmosphere? W) Precipitation X) Evaporation Y) Transpiration Z) Condensation

Answer 517

X

Question 518

518) What reflecting space telescope has the largest collecting area?

Answer 518

Hubble

Question 519

519) What layer of the Earth includes the crust and the uppermost mantle?

Answer 519

Lithosphere Description: The crust is the form of air in atmosphere and lithosphere is a type of layer in atmosphere.

Question 520

520) Identify all of the following four choices that are tectonic plates: 1) Atlantic; 2) African; 3) Pacific; 4) Australian.

Answer 520

234

Question 521

521) Fossils tell us about the evolution of life. In which of the following rock types are you most likely to find a well-preserved fossil? W) Basalt X) Granite Y) Shale Z) Amphibolite

Answer 521

Y

Question 522

522) Which one of the solar system's rocky planets rotates in the opposite direction from all the others?

Answer 522

Venus Description: Venus is one of the planets in solar system. Rotation is possible in every planets,it rotates in opposite direction.

Question 523

523) On the Mohs scale of hardness, what mineral is defined to have hardness 1?

Answer 523

Talc Description: Mohs scale is used to determine hardness of minerals.In this Talc has the least hardness of 1.

Question 524

524) Which of the following is true every year when the United States experiences winter solstice? W) Earth is at its maximum distance from the Sun X) The Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun Y) Antarctica experiences 24 hours of darkness Z) The Moon is a waning crescent

Answer 524

X Description: During Winter solstice snowfall occurs in US,Southern phase will get strucked directed to sun.

Question 525

525) In what layer of Earth's atmosphere does nearly all weather occur?

Answer 525

Troposphere Description: Atmosphere is of five types,by range of particular distances,Changes in weather occurs by these layers.

Question 526

526) In general, what is the minimum number of land-based seismic station measurements needed to determine the location of an earthquake?

Answer 526

3 Description: Seismic station measurement is used for measuring earthquake location,it is of land based in three places.

Question 527

527) What two elements primarily make up the core of the Earth?

Answer 527

Iron and Nickel

Question 528

528) Most of the CO2 presently entering Earth's atmosphere is generated by human activities. Which of the following is closest to the percentage of CO2 released into the atmosphere by land and sea volcanoes combined?

Answer 528

W

Question 529

529) In what geologic era did dinosaurs live? W) Jurassic X) Paleozoic Y) Mesozoic Z) Cenozoic

Answer 529

Y

Question 530

530) From the following four measurements made on a collection of stars, identify the two that can be plotted against each other to create an H-R diagram: 1) Absolute magnitude; 2) Age; 3) Temperature; 4) Mass.

Answer 530

1 and 3

Question 531

531) What is the equivalent of the Aurora Borealis in the Southern hemisphere?

Answer 531

Aurora Australis

Question 532

532) Which of the following is closest to the number of major and minor tectonic plates into which Earth's lithosphere is divided? W) 5 X) 15 Y) 25 Z) 35

Answer 532

X

Question 533

533) The Colorado River carved what well-known steep-sided landform in the United States?

Answer 533

The grand canyon The website said the “great” canyon lol

Question 534

534) What layer of the Earth lies directly beneath the tectonic plates? W) Core X) Asthenosphere Y) Crust Z) Lithosphere

Answer 534

X

Question 535

534) What layer of the Earth lies directly beneath the tectonic plates? W) Core X) Asthenosphere Y) Crust Z) Lithosphere

Answer 535

SiO2

Question 536

536) A lunar eclipse can only happen during which of the following? W) New moon X) First quarter Y) Full moon Z) Third quarter

Answer 536

Y

Question 537

537) Which of the following are the two types of glaciers? W) Terrestrial and marine X) Drumlin and moraine Y) Alpine and continental Z) Divergent and convergent

Answer 537

Y

Question 538

538) What planet in the inner solar system has exactly 2 natural satellites that are thought to be captured asteroids?

Answer 538

Mars (Deimos and Phobos)

Question 539

539) Which of the following features is most likely to occur in deserts after heavy rainfall? W) Ephemeral streams X) Riparian corridors Y) Desert pavement Z) Alluvial fan

Answer 539

W

Question 540

540) Which of the following prevailing wind belts is most affected by El Niño? W) North polar easterlies X) South polar easterlies Y) Midlatitude westerlies Z) Trade winds

Answer 540

Z

Question 541

541) What is the most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere?

Answer 541

Nitrogen

Question 542

542) Which of the following is a type of chemical weathering? W) Oxidation X) Abrasion Y) Erosion Z) Ice wedging

Answer 542

W

Question 543

543) A light-year is a unit for measuring what? W) Time X) Speed Y) Distance Z) Momentum

Answer 543

Y

Question 544

544) What landform is created when a stream meets a larger body of water, causing it to lose velocity and drop sediment?

Answer 544

Delta

Question 545

545) Why is the equator warmer than the poles? W) The angle of sunlight is more direct at the equator X) The angle of sunlight is more direct at the poles Y) The seasons are shorter at the equator Z) The seasons are shorter at the poles

Answer 545

W

Question 546

546) Order the following three geologic time intervals from longest to shortest: 1) Phanerozoic eon; 2) Carboniferous period; 3) Paleozoic era.

Answer 546

132

Question 547

547) What rock type can be divided into intrusive and extrusive sub-categories? W) Metamorphic X) Sedimentary Y) Igneous Z) Clastic

Answer 547

Y

Question 548

548) Which of the following is the underlying cause of most volcanoes on Earth? W) Meteor impacts X) Tidal forces Y) Plate tectonics Z) Weather patterns

Answer 548

Y

Question 549

549) Which of the following solar system objects are made up of mostly dust and ice? W) Comets X) Asteroids Y) Dwarf planets Z) Jovian planets

Answer 549

W

Question 550

550) Galena is the primary ore of what metal?

Answer 550

Lead

Question 551

551) Which of the following is most responsible for the formation of the Great Lakes? W) Rain X) Wind Y) Glaciers Z) Meteor impacts

Answer 551

Y

Question 552

552) Which of the following planets has an orbital period less than one Earth year? W) Earth X) Mars Y) Venus Z) Jupiter

Answer 552

Y

Question 553

553) Identify all of the following three landforms that are types of glacial lakes: 1) Kettle; 2) Drumlin; 3) Tarn.

Answer 553

1 and 3

Question 554

554) Most of the matter that makes up the Sun is in what phase? W) Gas X) Solid Y) Plasma Z) Liquid

Answer 554

Y

Question 555

555) What ocean layer receives sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis?

Answer 555

Photic/sunlight zone

Question 556

556) Which of the following minerals is softest? W) Quartz X) Topaz Y) Calcite Z) Orthoclase

Answer 556

Y

Question 557

557) Identify all of the following four processes of the water cycle that remove water vapor from Earth’s atmosphere: 1) Deposition; 2) Transpiration; 3) Sublimation; 4) Precipitation

Answer 557

1 and 4

Question 558

558) What blue star is the brightest star in the constellation Orion?

Answer 558

Rigel

Question 559

559) Which of the following rock types is most likely to contain organic matter? W) Metamorphic X) Sedimentary Y) Extrusive igneous Z) Intrusive igneous

Answer 559

X

Question 560

560) Which of the following is most responsible for the change of seasons? W) The phases of the Moon X) The distribution of continents and oceans Y) The tilt of Earth's axis Z) The elliptical shape of Earth's orbit

Answer 560

Y

Question 561

561) The color of a star is most closely related to which of its other properties? W) Composition X) Pressure Y) Temperature Z) Magnetism

Answer 561

Y

Question 562

562) Which of the following best describes why Earth has a magnetic field? W) The inner core contains solid iron X) The outer core contains liquid iron Y) The Moon exerts a gravitational pull Z) The Sun exerts a gravitational pull

Answer 562

X

Question 563

563) The Nazca Plate is located off the western margin of what continent?

Answer 563

South America

Question 564

564) In what geologic era are we currently living?

Answer 564

Cenazoic

Question 565

565) Most asteroids in the inner solar system are located in the main asteroid belt, which lies between the orbits of what two planets?

Answer 565

Mars and Jupiter

Question 566

566) The ozone hole over the Antarctic is located in what atomospheric layer? W) Thermosphere X) Stratosphere Y) Mesosphere Z) Exosphere

Answer 566

X

Question 567

567) Identify all of the following three organisms that can be found at deep sea hydrothermal vents: 1) Cyanobacteria; 2) Tube worms; 3) Fish.

Answer 567

2 and 3

Question 568

568) What mineral is the primary constituent of the rock limestone?

Answer 568

Calcite

Question 569

569) Identify all of the following three processes that are examples of mass wasting: 1) Seiches; 2) Heaves; 3) Rockfalls.

Answer 569

2 and 3

Question 570

To be filled out

Answer 570

The question might be wrong

Question 571

571) Which of the following is closest to the number of years that dinosaurs were in existence? W) 1.6 million X) 16 million Y) 160 million Z) 1.6 billion

Answer 571

Y

Question 572

572) Which of the following is a major component of marine snow? W) Salt X) Frozen water Y) Calcium carbonate Z) Fecal matter from zooplankton

Answer 572

Z

Question 573

573) Edwin Hubble developed a four-type classification for galaxies that is often displayed in a "tuning fork" diagram. What are the four types?

Answer 573

Elliptical, Spiral, Barred Spiral, Irregular

Question 574

574) Which of the following phenomena is NOT related to burning fossil fuels? W) Increased atmospheric CO2 levels X) Magnetic reversals Y) Acid rain Z) Mercury pollution

Answer 574

X

Question 575

575) The Intertropical Convergence Zone is the low-pressure zone of rising, warm air found in what atmospheric circulation cell? W) Ferrel X) Hadley Y) Polar Z) Wegener

Answer 575

X

Question 576

576) Lahars are typically associated with eruptions of what type of volcanoes?

Answer 576

Strato/composite volcanoes

Question 577

577) Identify all of the following three statements that are true of oligotrophic lakes: 1) They are nutrient-poor; 2) They contain abundant algae; 3) They typically have clear blue water.

Answer 577

1 and 3

Question 578

578) Where can most deserts be found? W) In the horse latitudes and on the lee side of mountains X) At the equator and on the lee side of forests Y) Near inland seas Z) Wherever humans use too much water

Answer 578

W

Question 579

579) Identify all of the following three constellations that would be visible in the night sky over the North Pole on New Year’s eve: 1) Mensa; 2) Cassiopeia; 3) Ursa Major.

Answer 579

2 and 3

Question 580

580) Old sea ice is the category of sea ice that has been around for the longest time. It can be subdivided into which of the following groups? W) Second-year ice and multi-year ice X) Frazil ice and slush Y) 0 to 10 centimeter ice and 10 to 30 centimeter ice Z) Dark old sea ice and light old sea ice

Answer 580

W

Question 581

581) Organize the following four surfaces from the lowest to highest albedo: 1) fresh snow, 2) snow-free sea ice, 3) sea water, 4) melting snow.

Answer 581

3241

Question 582

582) Which of the following characteristics are exhibited by biota that occur early in the succession of a region? W) Deep roots X) High productivity Y) Long lifespans Z) Highly diversified group of species

Answer 582

X

Question 583

583) What is the major source of heat energy that leads to the melting of sea ice? W) Absorption of ocean water radiation by the ice X) Convection of heat from the surrounding air Y) Conduction of energy from the surrounding water Z) Radiation of energy from land

Answer 583

Y

Question 584

584) What is the name of the meteor shower visible in the Northern Hemisphere beginning in mid-July of each year, with a peak in activity between August 9 and 14?

Answer 584

Perseid

Question 585

585) What is the current explanation for the formation of the asteroid belt? W) There was too big of a gap between Mars and Jupiter to form a planet X) Mars had two moons and planetesimals in that location were not large enough to form another moon Y) The planetesimals in that location were moving too slowly to accrete to form a planet Z) After Jupiter was formed, planetesimals in that location were perturbed by Jupiter's gravity and could not form a planet

Answer 585

Z

Question 586

586) Which of the following statements is NOT true about light pollution? W) Using a short wavelength light at night minimizes the impact of artificial light X) Some birds sing at unnatural hours in the presence of artificial light Y) It is caused by allowing artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky at night, rather than focusing it downward Z) Brightly lit highways create nocturnal light levels that are as much as a million times brighter than normal, disorienting amphibians and other animals

Answer 586

W

Question 587

587) Which of the following would be the most damaging kind of light pollution for an astronomer using a telescope at an observatory? W) Everyone on a street leaving on their porch light X) A car dealership using a spotlight for advertisement Y) Neon lighting on advertisements Z) Everyone in town leaving their living room lights on after they go to bed

Answer 587

X

Question 588

588) What is the hottest planet in our solar system, by surface temperature?

Answer 588

Venus

Question 589

589) Consider ocean water underlying sea ice with cold air above the sea ice. The rate at which heat flows out of ocean water is which of the following? W) Directly proportional to the temperature difference between the air and the water X) Directly proportional to the thickness of the ice layer Y) Constant once ocean water reaches -5° Celsius Z) Increased by the snow cover on top of the ice

Answer 589

W

Question 590

590) The tails of comets always do which of the following? W) Point away from the Sun X) Point towards the Sun Y) Point away from their direction of travel Z) Point in their direction of travel

Answer 590

W

Question 591

591) Which of the following is true about the 2012 North Atlantic hurricane season? W) Two of the tropical storms occurred before the official June 1 beginning of hurricane season X) Four major hurricanes, categories 3 through 5, struck the East Coast Y) The exceptionally weak jet stream over the eastern portion of the nation could not push hurricanes off the East Coast Z) El Niño proved to be a major influence in suppressing overall storm activity

Answer 591

W

Question 592

592) How fast does the Sun rotate? W) Every 24 hours X) Every 31 days Y) Every 27 days Z) The Sun does not rotate

Answer 592

Y

Question 593

593) Aerobraking is a method that can be used to slow a spacecraft down by having it drag through a planet's atmosphere. Why couldn't NASA use this method for the MESSENGER spacecraft? W) Mercury is too close to the Sun X) Mercury's atmosphere has too much corrosive methane in it Y) Mercury has little to no atmosphere Z) Mercury has insufficient gravity to permit it

Answer 593

Y

Question 594

594) Which of the following statements regarding Saturn is NOT true? W) It has a 29-year orbit around the Sun X) Its rotational axis is tilted 27° with respect to the orbital plane Y) Its seasons are about twice as long as corresponding seasons on Earth Z) Its rings are aligned with its equator

Answer 594

Y

Question 595

595) You are an astronaut on the space station looking down on the city of Seattle at night. You can see a few city lights but it is quite cloudy below. What method of remote sensing would you most likely use due to these conditions?

Answer 595

Radar

Question 596

596) Identify all of the following factors that are inversely related to the strength of sea ice: 1) salinity, 2) porosity, 3) temperature.

Answer 596

All of them

Question 597

597) Which of the following is a first sign that the ocean surface is freezing? W) Slushy, thick soupy consistency of surface X) Oily appearance on surface due to needle-like ice crystals Y) Thin sheets of pancake ice radiating across surface Z) Detectable color change of sea surface from dark to white

Answer 597

X

Question 598

598) What occurs to the water mass immediately surrounding the first ice crystals that form in ocean water? W) It becomes saltier X) It becomes more stratified Y) It become fresher Z) It becomes colder

Answer 598

W

Question 599

599) Organize the following four snow types according to increasing insulating effect: 1) hard packed snow; 2) extremely cold, wind-swept snow; 3) newly fallen soft snow; 4) slightly settled snow.

Answer 599

2143

Question 600

600) Mt Fuji is an active example of what type of volcano?

Answer 600

Strato/composite

Question 601

601) Meteor showers are caused by periodic comets. These comets are periodic for which of the following reasons? W) They are being ejected by the same source X) Areas of Earth's orbit are more comet-dense than others Y) They orbit the Sun in elliptical paths Z) They occur when Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun

Answer 601

Y

Question 602

602) Gravity assist is a great way to save money on spacecraft fuel. Which of the following is one reason NASA might NOT be able to use it to send a spacecraft to Neptune? W) The planets are rarely lined up in the right places X) Gravity assist only works for small planets Y) The gravity of gas giant planets is difficult to predict Z) Neptune's orbit crossing with Pluto creates a chaotic system

Answer 602

W

Question 603

603) A geomagnetic storm adds heat to a part of Earth's atmosphere called the thermosphere. As the atmosphere rises, the density in low Earth orbit increases. Which of the following might this subsequently increase on a satellite? W) Radiation X) Auroral light Y) Drag Z) Conductivity interference

Answer 603

Y

Question 604

604) Which of the following planetary characteristics is estimated based on observations of abundance, size, and distribution of craters on the surface of other planets? W) Mineralogy X) Atmospheric conditions Y) Geomorphology Z) Age

Answer 604

Z

Question 605

605) The largest loess province in the world can be found in what country?

Answer 605

China

Question 606

606) What country has the largest coal reserves on Earth? W) China X) Russia Y) Japan Z) United States of America

Answer 606

Z

Question 607

607) What is the name for rock formed from hot volcanic ash welding together? W) Pumice X) Rhyolite Y) Obsidian Z) Tuff

Answer 607

Z

Question 608

608) The longest-ranging ice core temperature records come from the Dome C ice core recovered in Antarctica. Which of the following is nearest to the number of years covered by the Dome C ice core? W) 800,000 X) 80,000 Y) 8,000 Z) 800

Answer 608

W

Question 609

609) Identify all of the following four islands that are part of the Galapagos: 1) Santiago, 2) Isabela, 3) Santa Fe, 4) Caprolites.

Answer 609

123

Question 610

610) Which of the following general statements is NOT true regarding the Arctic? W) It is a smaller continent than the Antarctic X) It is warmer than the Antarctic Y) It is at a lower elevation than the Antarctic Z) It is less isolated from other landmasses than the Antarctic

Answer 610

W

Question 611

611) Rank the following four minerals from hardest to softest: 1) quartz, 2) halite, 3) pyrite, 4) aragonite [uh-RAG-uh-nyt].

Answer 611

1342

Question 612

612) What primary weather factor is driven by the pressure gradient caused by uneven heating of Earth’s surface?

Answer 612

Wind

Question 613

613) Which of the following states would have the least amount of mass wasting based on the state’s topography? W) Virginia X) Colorado Y) South Dakota Z) Oregon

Answer 613

Y

Question 614

614) Which of the following is NOT a type of sediment load carried by a river? W) Dissolved X) Drifting Y) Suspended Z) Bed

Answer 614

X

Question 615

615) What is the name for the characteristic assigned to minerals that do NOT cleave in an organized fashion?

Answer 615

Fracture

Question 616

616) What is the meteorological term for the level of water vapor in a given air parcel?

Answer 616

Humidity

Question 617

617) Which of the following is the crystal habit of halite? W) Cubic X) Hexagonal prism Y) Rhombohedra Z) Dodecahedra

Answer 617

W

Question 618

618) Which of the following intrusive rock deposits is largest in size? W) Dike X) Batholith Y) Laccolith Z) Sill

Answer 618

X

Question 619

619) The presence of snow on sea ice has what effect on freeboard, the amount of snow and ice protruding above the surface?

Answer 619

It lowers freeboard

Question 620

620) Most gemstones belong to what class of minerals? W) Phosphates X) Oxides Y) Carbonates Z) Silicates

Answer 620

Z

Question 621

621) A supraglacial lake would be located at which of the following locations? W) Underneath a glacier X) On top of a glacier Y) In the moraine of a retreating glacier Z) At the glacier terminus

Answer 621

X

Question 622

622) Which of the following rocks has both high porosity and high permeability? W) Claystone X) Sandstone Y) Granite Z) Marble

Answer 622

X

Question 623

623) As a result of pressure, the melting point of glacial ice is known to decrease 0.7° Celsius per kilometer of depth. Providing your answer in kilometers to the nearest tenth, at what depth will a glacier begin to melt if it has a constant temperature of -2° Celsius?

Answer 623

2.9

Question 624

624) Which of the following types of volcano usually covers the most acreage on the surface of the Earth? W) Lava dome X) Cinder cone Y) Stratovolcano Z) Shield volcano

Answer 624

Z

Question 625

625) Black smokers are most likely to be found in association with what type of undersea geological site? W) Subduction zone X) Slip-strike fault Y) Methane seep Z) Spreading center

Answer 625

Z

Question 626

626) Based on Iceland’s location, what type of lava is most commonly seen erupting from Iceland’s volcanic vents?

Answer 626

Basalt

Question 627

627) Place the following four geological time divisions in the correct order, from longest to shortest: 1) era, 2) epoch, 3) period, 4) eon.

Answer 627

4132

Question 628

628) What size of particle is loess? W) Clay X) Silt Y) Sand Z) Gravel

Answer 628

X

Question 629

629) Which of the following is LEAST likely to occur at a subduction zone? W) Transform faulting X) Offshore trenches Y) Deep-focus earthquakes Z) Active volcanism

Answer 629

W

Question 630

630) Which of the following igneous minerals would be the first to melt as temperature increases? W) Quartz X) Potassium feldspar Y) Olivine Z) Hornblende

Answer 630

W

Question 631

631) In 1953, two scientists, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey, conducted a famous experiment on the origin of life. They passed an electrical charge through a closed system containing methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water. What did this process produce that led to the currently accepted theory of biogenesis? W) Nucleic acids X) Lipids Y) Amino acids Z) Proteins

Answer 631

Y

Question 632

632) Which of the following types of coal has the highest carbon content? W) Bituminous X) Peat Y) Anthracite Z) Lignite

Answer 632

Y

Question 633

633) What class of mollusks includes modern day clams? W) Scaphopoda X) Gastropoda Y) Bivalvia Z) Cephalopoda

Answer 633

Y

Question 634

634) What Atlantic island nation is located on top of both a hotspot and a divergent plate boundary?

Answer 634

Iceland

Question 635

635) Most groundwater is stored in pore spaces that are typically how big? W) 1 to 5 millimeters X) 1 to 5 centimeters Y) 1 to 5 decimeters Z) 1 to 5 meters

Answer 635

W

Question 636

636) Why do hurricanes NOT occur at the equator? W) The water is too warm X) There is not enough land mass Y) The Coriolis effect is too weak Z) The days are too long

Answer 636

Y

Question 637

637) What kind of rock is found in the dark craters of the Moon?

Answer 637

Basalt

Question 638

638) The weather phenomenon that consists of weakened tradewinds that allow surface water from the western Pacific to move eastward, causing a sinking thermocline, is known as El Niño. This process leads to which of the following along coastal South America? W) Colder sea surface temperatures and more precipitation X) Colder sea surface temperatures and less precipitation Y) Warmer sea surface temperatures and more precipitation Z) Warmer sea surface temperatures and less precipitation

Answer 638

Y

Question 639

639) Which of the following sites is famous for its diversity of Pleistocene fossils? W) Florissant Formation X) Green River Formation Y) La Brea Tar Pits Z) Columbia River flood basalts

Answer 639

Y

Question 640

640) Name the extinction event during which the non-avian dinosaurs died out.

Answer 640

Cretaceous Theory

Question 641

641) Which of the following does NOT affect the porosity of a material? W) Grain sorting X) Connection between pores Y) Cementation of grains Z) Grain shape

Answer 641

X

Question 642

642) Black carbon particles are common in Earth’s atmosphere. These particles are the result of incomplete combustion, a chemical reaction involving organic matter and what else?

Answer 642

Oxygen

Question 643

643) Which of the following is NOT one of the eight most common elements in the Earth’s crust? W) Oxygen X) Sodium Y) Carbon Z) Calcium

Answer 643

Y

Question 644

644) What term describes the height of an object in the sky? W) Zenith X) Altitude Y) Nadir Z) Meridian

Answer 644

X

Question 645

645) What is responsible for producing ozone in the stratosphere? W) The interaction of oxygen and ultraviolet light X) Biogenic emissions Y) Volcanic emissions Z) The interaction of methane and ultraviolet light

Answer 645

W

Question 646

646) Which of the following scales is used to rate hurricanes? W) Saffir-Simpson X) Modified Mercalli Y) Enhanced Fujita Z) Richter Magnitude

Answer 646

W

Question 647

647) Snowflakes can take on a variety of shapes depending on the physical environment in which they form. In addition to temperature, what is the major physical factor that determines snowflake shape?

Answer 647

Humidity

Question 648

648) In which of the following rock types are you most likely to find a fossil? W) Sandstone X) Slate Y) Conglomerate Z) Granite

Answer 648

W

Question 649

649) What will be limited by the presence of a thick snowpack on the surface of sea ice, which will reduce primary production among sea ice algae?

Answer 649

Light

Question 650

650) Which of the following contains the largest amount of the earth’s freshwater? W) Rivers and lakes X) Groundwater Y) Ice caps and glaciers Z) Soil moisture

Answer 650

Y

Question 651

651) Which of the following greenhouse gases is the longest-lived in the atmosphere? W) Methane X) Water vapor Y) Nitrous oxide Z) CFC-11

Answer 651

Y

Question 652

652) Which of the following gases is NOT considered a greenhouse gas? W) Water vapor X) Carbon dioxide Y) Nitrogen Z) Ozone

Answer 652

Y

Question 653

653) Diatoms within sea ice are responsible for as much as 10% of the carbon dioxide fixation in the Southern Ocean. During which of the following months would you expect the organic carbon content of the sea ice to be highest? W) September X) December Y) April Z) June

Answer 653

X

Question 654

654) Which of the following percentages best represents the amount of the Earth's freshwater supply that can be found in lakes and rivers? W) 0.03% X) 0.3% Y) 3% Z) 30%

Answer 654

X

Question 655

655) What adjective is used to describe the time it takes a star to return to the same place in the sky?

Answer 655

Sideral

Question 656

656) Which of the following pairs of ions is responsible for more than 75% of the salt in seawater? W) Chloride and calcium X) Calcium and potassium Y) Sodium and potassium Z) Sodium and chloride

Answer 656

Z

Question 657

657) In recent years, marine organisms have experienced problems building their shells because oceans are absorbing greater amounts of carbon dioxide. What is this process called?

Answer 657

Ocean acidification

Question 658

658) Dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, is a byproduct of biological activity in sea ice and a major source of cloud nuclei to the atmosphere. Which of the following is true? W) DMS levels in ice-free regions of ocean are higher than in ice-laden regions X) The Antarctic atmosphere receives the highest amounts of atmospheric DMS during the spring to early summer months (November through December) Y) Dissolved DMS concentrations are highest in Southern Ocean waters during the winter (July through August) Z) Release of DMS into the Antarctic atmosphere reduces the amount of regional cloud cover during the start of the summer season

Answer 658

X

Question 659

659) When saturated soil is shaken by an earthquake, the soil strength drops and can cause buildings to sink or collapse. What is the term for this phenomenon?

Answer 659

Liquefication

Question 660

660) Which of the following is NOT the name of a river-sea interface? W) Delta X) Estuary Y) Cenote Z) Slough

Answer 660

Y

Question 661

661) What is that separate one watershed, or drainage basin, from another?

Answer 661

Divide

Question 662

662) If water percolating through permeable material is stopped by a lens of non-porous material, which of the following would form? W) Artesian well X) Unconfined aquifer Y) Perched aquifer Z) Aquiclude

Answer 662

Y

Question 663

663) What kind of front occurs when a cold front catches up to a preceding warm front?

Answer 663

Occluded

Question 664

664) Many people buy fancy “granite” counter tops for their kitchen. However, many of these countertops are dark in color with distinctly visible crystals of grey, green and black minerals. Which of the following is the appropriate rock name for a countertop fitting this description? W) Gabbro X) Andesite Y) Granite Z) Pumice

Answer 664

W

Question 665

665) What atmospheric measurement is used to categorize hurricanes according to the Saffir-Simpson scale? W) Observed damage X) Precipitation amount Y) Wind speed Z) Storm surge

Answer 665

Y

Question 666

666) Which of the following types of sediment deposits are formed primarily by wind processes? W) Alluvial X) Eolian Y) Lacustrine Z) Fluvial

Answer 666

X

Question 667

667) How will the rate of movement of wind-driven sea ice with an uneven surface compare to the rate of movement of wind-driven sea ice with an even surface?

Answer 667

Sea ice with an uneven surface will move faster

Question 668

668) What two natural processes are responsible for most of the variation in carbon dioxide concentration across an annual cycle?

Answer 668

Photosynthesis and respiration

Question 669

669) Where does sea ice form first? W) Open water, far from coast X) Deep water, near coast Y) Shallow water, near coast Z) Shallow water, far from coast

Answer 669

Y

Question 670

670) Which of the following is NOT thought to have initiated the Permian-Triassic mass extinction? W) Changing climate X) Mass volcanism Y) Meteor impact Z) Disease

Answer 670

Z

Question 671

671) Through what energy transfer process is ocean water below surface ice frozen? W) Convection X) Conduction Y) Mechanical Z) Radiation

Answer 671

X

Question 672

672) Lakes can develop subtoxic or anoxic layers under certain conditions. Which of the following factors can help create anoxic conditions? W) Steady winds on the lake surface X) Low nutrient concentrations Y) Low level of primary production Z) Stratification

Answer 672

Z

Question 673

673) Which of the following scenarios would yield the slowest freezing of ocean water beneath existing sea ice? W) Sea ice with no snow cover X) Sea ice with a thin layer of slushy snow cover Y) Sea ice with a layer of soft, fluffy, new fallen snow cover Z) Sea ice with older, hard, compact snow

Answer 673

X

Question 674

674) The Burgess Shale in Canada is best known for providing scientists with fossils of which of the following? W) Dinosaurs X) Early humans Y) Multicellular marine organisms Z) The first land animals

Answer 674

Y

Question 675

675) Which of the following sedimentary rocks is often formed in a tropical ocean? W) Sandstone X) Limestone Y) Breccia Z) Shale

Answer 675

X

Question 676

676) Which of the following types of physical weathering is referred to as onion skin weathering, where concentric shells of weathered material form around a rock? W) Freeze/thaw X) Exfoliation Y) Unloading Z) Thermal expansion

Answer 676

X

Question 677

677) Which of the following statements about heating air is true? W) Air over land is heated faster than air over water at the same location X) Air over a light colored sandy beach is heated to a higher temperature than air over the black asphalted parking lot Y) Air over water is heated faster than air over land at the same location Z) Air over ice is heated faster than air over water at the same location

Answer 677

W

Question 678

678) You experience an ocean breeze when you stand on the beach on a summer afternoon because: W) Wind always comes into land off the water because air moves more over the ocean X) Air currents are stronger over land Y) Air over land is heated more, causing it to rise and make room for the cooler ocean air Z) Air over water is heated during the day, rises, and then flows inland to the land, where the air is cooler

Answer 678

Y

Question 679

679) Glaciers can have quite an effect on Earth’s surface. They can: W) Stop volcanoes from erupting X) Carve away rock from mountains Y) Sink to the bottom of the ocean then grow until they reach the surface Z) Create new mountain ranges

Answer 679

X

Question 680

680) Which of the following statements is true about glacier W) Glaciers are generally full of rocks and sediments and can move these objects far from their sources X) When a glacier retreats, it moves backwards Y) Humans did not exist when glaciers were covering much of North America Z) There is more glacial ice today than there has been in the past 100 years

Answer 680

W

Question 681

681) Two planets of the same mass are orbiting around the same star. Planet A is three times as far away from the star as Planet B. How does the star’s gravitational force on Planet A compare to the gravitational force on Planet B?

Answer 681

1/9

Question 682

682) The radius of Planet C is close to half that of Earth, and both have the same average density. Compared to Earth’s gravitational acceleration at the surface, approximately what will Planet C’s gravity be at its surface? W) 4 g X) g/4 Y) g Z) g/2

Answer 682

Z

Question 683

683) As water freezes it often supercools, which means that it: W) Remains liquid below the freezing point X) Cools very quickly Y) Rapidly cools the surrounding environment Z) Becomes a solid above the freezing point

Answer 683

W

Question 684

684) As water begins changing phase from liquid to solid, what is happening with the energy of the system, including the ice and the surrounding water? W) No energy is being exchanged X) Energy from the forming ice is given off to the surrounding water Y) Energy from the surrounding water is given off to the forming ice Z) The whole system loses energy rapidly, becoming supercooled

Answer 684

X

Question 685

685) What is the term for the structural geologic feature in which there is an increased dip in otherwise gently dipping strata?

Answer 685

Monocline

Question 686

686) What most likely constitutes the majority of the Earth’s center, also known as the inner core? W) Hydrogen gas X) Molten rock Y) Molten iron Z) Solid iron

Answer 686

Z

Question 687

687) Which of the following is an index mineral W) Chalcopyrite X) Andalusite Y) Azurite Z) Sphene

Answer 687

X

Question 688

688) What is the original energy source that drives the transfer of water in the ocean to water vapor in the atmosphere? W) The Sun X) Nuclear energy Y) Wind power Z) Tidal power

Answer 688

W

Question 689

689) A cubic meter of H2O has the greatest amount of energy in which of the following situations? W) Ice in a Rocky Mountain glacier X) Water vapor in an air mass over Kansas Y) Water in the Gulf of Mexico Z) Water in Lake Michigan

Answer 689

X

Question 690

690) Although a number of environmental factors help shape land features, identify the one factor that typically produces valleys with a U-shape.

Answer 690

Valley glaciers

Question 691

691) Sixteen thousand years ago, the landscape of the Midwest was very different than it is today. Glaciers were retreating, but much of the Midwestern United States was under ice. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Midwest 16,000 years ago? W) Spruce grew throughout much of the Midwest south of the glaciers X) Summers were significantly cooler than they are today Y) Winter temperatures were dramatically cooler than they are today Z) Ground sloths browsed on trees and shrubs

Answer 691

Y

Question 692

692) Why couldn’t sailing explorers from Europe and Asia sail directly along the latitude that cuts across the middle of the North Atlantic or North Pacific to get to America? W) Wind and water currents do not flow directly along the latitude that cuts across the middle of these oceans X) Winds blow so hard near the middle of the ocean that it is impossible to maintain a straight course Y) Near the center of the oceans, the winds often blow in one direction, while the water currents flow in the opposite direction, making it difficult to traverse Z) The currents are so strong in the middle of the gyres that it is difficult to sail through them

Answer 692

Y

Question 693

693) What is the source of the northeast trade winds in the North Atlantic? W) Florida X) North Africa Y) Brazil Z) Canada

Answer 693

X

Question 694

694) Ocean waves are created by which of the following? W) Wind X) Shape of the ocean floor Y) Water depth Z) Currents

Answer 694

W

Question 695

695) What type of earthquakes occurring on the island of Hawaii are a result of magma movement underneath Kilauea

Answer 695

Harmonic tremors

Question 696

696) In the deep ocean, the continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column is called which of the following? W) Marine snow X) Fecal snow Y) Organic snow Z) Carbon snow

Answer 696

W

Question 697

697) Which of the following is NOT considered a rift valley? W) Mid-ocean ridges X) Rhine River Valley Y) Red Sea Z) Mississippi River Valley

Answer 697

Z

Question 698

698) The hardness of a mineral determines how resistant it is to which of the following? W) Mass loading X) Fracture Y) Scratching Z) Temperature flux

Answer 698

Y

Question 699

699) The early atmosphere of the Earth probably was rich in all EXCEPT which of the following gases? W) Oxygen X) Carbon monoxide Y) Carbon dioxide Z) Nitrogen

Answer 699

W

Question 700

700) What must a glacier meet in order to form an ice shelf?

Answer 700

An ocean

Question 701

701) What is the term for an earthquake’s initial rupture point?

Answer 701

Focus

Question 702

702) Which of the following is NOT a consequence of a drought? W) Increased electricity due to wind generation X) Snake migration and increases in snake bites Y) Diminished crop yields Z) Dust storms

Answer 702

W

Question 703

703) Which of the following is a stratovolcano? W) Galapagos Islands X) Olympus Mons Y) Mount St. Helens Z) The Hawaiian Island chain

Answer 703

Y

Question 704

704) The United States hosts a geologic sword of Damocles: the super volcano. Under what national park is this super volcano located?

Answer 704

Yellowstone national park

Question 705

705) Which of the following is NOT an important component of the hydrologic cycle? W) Transpiration X) Condensation Y) Runoff Z) Respiration

Answer 705

Z

Question 706

706) What kind of tide should be expected on June 10 if the last full moon was May 21?

Answer 706

Spring tide

Question 707

707) Which of the following is NOT associated with active margins? W) Earthquakes X) Subduction zones Y) Transform faults Z) Hot spot volcanism

Answer 707

Z

Question 708

708) A long straight shoreline faces northeast. Waves approach the beach from the north and wave refraction bends the waves to the shore. In what direction will the resulting long shore current flow? W) Southeast X) Southwest Y) Northeast Z) Northwest

Answer 708

W

Question 709

709) Which of the following is farthest from the Sun? W) Kuiper Belt X) Oort Cloud Y) Persephone Z) Neptune

Answer 709

X

Question 710

710) An iceberg is formed by the breakage of an ice shelf. What is the term for this event?

Answer 710

Calving

Question 711

711) Which of the following is NOT considered a rare earth element? W) Neodymium X) Yttrium Y) Lanthanum Z) Uranium

Answer 711

Z

Question 712

712) Of the planets visible to the naked eye, which moves the slowest across the sky on average?

Answer 712

Saturn

Question 713

713) Which of the following is NOT considered one of the major volcano types? W) Basalt dome X) Stratovolcano Y) Lava dome Z) Cinder cone

Answer 713

W

Question 714

714) What is the name of the type of volcano that is built almost entirely of low viscosity basaltic lava flows?

Answer 714

Shield volcano

Question 715

715) Fossils found in the deep ocean are cemented in what kind of rock? W) Igneous X) Extrusive Y) Sedimentary Z) Metamorphic

Answer 715

Y

Question 716

716) Mid-ocean ridge valleys are lined with what kind of faults?

Answer 716

Normal

Question 717

717) At what point in an inferior planet's orbit will it appear largest in the sky? W) Opposition X) Greatest elongation Y) Inferior conjunction Z) Superior conjunction

Answer 717

Y

Question 718

718) The galactic center appears in which constellation?

Answer 718

Sagittarius

Question 719

719) Which of the following describes the relationship between water particles and ocean waves? W) Waves move water particles effectively along the surface of water X) Waves have no impact on the motion of water particles Y) Water moves in vertical orbits in the direction of waves Z) Water particles are fragmented in the white caps of waves

Answer 719

Y

Question 720

720) What is the approximate mass of the largest stars? W) 1 solar mass X) 10 solar masses Y) 100 solar masses Z) 1000 solar masses

Answer 720

Y

Question 721

721) Which of the following is a sedimentary rock made of microscopic fossil marine shells? W) Chalk X) Shale Y) Coal Z) Lignite

Answer 721

W

Question 722

722) What draws the charged particles from the solar wind to the polar regions of the Earth? W) Jet stream currents in Earth’s upper atmosphere X) Earth’s magnetic field Y) Earth’s electric field Z) Centrifugal force

Answer 722

X

Question 723

723) Which of the following Appalachian Mountain provinces is the eroded remnant of a folded mountain belt? W) Valley and Ridge belt X) Great Valley Y) Piedmont Z) Appalachian Plateau

Answer 723

W

Question 724

724) Non-storm wave action can move fine sand particles in depths of up to how many meters? W) 10 X) 20 Y) 40 Z) 80

Answer 724

X

Question 725

725) The Paleocene-Eocene [PAY-lee- uh-seen EE-uh-seen] Thermal Maximum (PETM) was an event marked by major changes on Earth that occurred about 55 million years ago. Which of the following is NOT true of the PETM? W) Global temperature rose by about 6°C X) Carbonate deposits in the world’s oceans dissolved Y) Greenhouse gases such as CO2 were much lower Z) Deep-sea extinctions of marine organisms occurred

Answer 725

Y

Question 726

726) Worldwide, over 70% of the total length of beaches has retreated at a rate of 10 centimeters per year. Which of the following is primarily responsible for this dramatic change? W) Increase in shoreline construction X) Decrease in the number of groins permitted Y) Damming of the world’s rivers Z) Increases in ocean acidification

Answer 726

Y

Question 727

727) Black holes are thought to eventually evaporate away due to what phenomenon?

Answer 727

Hawking radiation

Question 728

728) What kind of spectrum would you expect to see when observing a hot gas through a spectrograph? W) Black body spectrum X) Emission spectrum Y) Absorption spectrum Z) Inverted spectrum

Answer 728

X

Question 729

729) What is the name for the specific landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks including limestone, dolomite, and gypsum?

Answer 729

Karst

Question 730

730) The Pleistocene [PLAY-stuh-seen] megafauna is a set of species of large animals that lived on Earth during the Pleistocene epoch. Which of following is not part of the Pleistocene megafauna? W) Dire wolf X) Pterodactyl Y) Saber-toothed cat Z) Mammoth

Answer 730

X

Question 731

731) Which of the following occurs for you to witness a partial solar eclipse? Choose your answer: W) The umbra passes over you, but the penumbra does not X) Both the penumbra and umbra pass over you Y) The penumbra passes over you, but the umbra does not Z) Neither the penumbra nor the umbra pass over you

Answer 731

Y

Question 732

732) The Basin and Range region of Nevada is characterized by an abundance of what kind of faults?

Answer 732

Normal

Question 733

733) You are looking west, at a fault in a region of shear. Across the fault, on the western side, the stream bed has been offset to the south, though no vertical movement has been detected. How do you describe this fault? W) Low angle thrust fault X) Left-lateral fault Y) Right normal fault Z) Oblique-slip fault

Answer 733

X

Question 734

734) At the most basic level, wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure. When there is a difference, air moves in which of the following directions? W) Clockwise to anticlockwise direction X) Area of low friction to area of high friction Y) Higher to lower pressure area Z) Lower to higher pressure area

Answer 734

Y

Question 735

735) Which of the following is NOT true of the Cretaceous geologic time period? W) It follows the Jurassic period X) It is the last period in the Mesozoic era Y) It was a period of relatively warm climate Z) The period began with a large mass extinction

Answer 735

Z

Question 736

736) Which of the following is NOT a component of the continental margin of western South America? W) Shallow abyssal plain X) Narrow continental shelf Y) Active volcanic belt inland Z) Trench offshore

Answer 736

W

Question 737

737) You are walking along an eroded dome structure. How will the age of strata change if you start from the center and walk outward?

Answer 737

Decrease in age

Question 738

738) Dip-slip faults are associated with what two kinds of forces?

Answer 738

Compressional and tensional

Question 739

739) How do sediments found on continental shelves of active margins compare to those at passive margins? W) Limestone is only present at passive margins X) Terrigenous and carbonate sediments are limited to active margins Y) Both margins are devoid of river-carried sediments Z) Active margins are more likely to have ash and other volcanic materials

Answer 739

Z

Question 740

740) Which of the following is a good way to prevent erosion? W) Moldboard plowing X) Growing crops in terraces Y) Disc plowing Z) River channelization

Answer 740

X

Question 741

741) Tornado alley is a region in the Midwest including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Tornadoes are common here because of the confluence of cold dry air from the northwest and what from the Gulf of Mexico?

Answer 741

Warm moist air

Question 742

742) Compressive forces dominate which of the following tectonic plate boundaries? W) North American and Eurasian X) Arabian and Eurasian Y) Nazca and Antarctic Z) Indo-Australian and Antarctic

Answer 742

X

Question 743

743) Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of erosion? W) Flowing water X) Freeze thaw cycles Y) Photolytic breakdown Z) Movement of dust by wind

Answer 743

Y

Question 744

744) A space plasma is a combination of what two things?

Answer 744

Electrons and ions

Question 745

745) Saturn’s moon, Enceladus [en-SEL-uh-duhs], has a surface reflectivity of about 100% and an average surface temperature of 75 Kelvin. What does this indicate about the chemical surface composition?

Answer 745

It is ice

Question 746

746) Which of the follow is NOT true about terrigenous ocean sediments? W) They are formed through chemical and physical weathering processes on land X) They are transported by surface water, often rivers, to the ocean Y) Bed load tends to settle out and be deposited along river beds before rivers meet the ocean Z) Fine clay particles from rivers can remain in suspension for years in the ocean

Answer 746

Y

Question 747

747) What type of galaxy usually occupies the central regions of a galaxy cluster? W) Peculiar X) Elliptical Y) Lenticular Z) Spiral

Answer 747

X

Question 748

748) Which atmospheric element is converted into a bioavailable form through the Haber-Bosch process?

Answer 748

Nitrogen

Question 749

749) To the nearest Kelvin, what is the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background?

Answer 749

3

Question 750

750) Which of the following would be affected the least by the Coriolis effect? W) Direction for a wind blowing from the north X) A hurricane Y) A tornado Z) A high pressure system

Answer 750

Y