CSET SCIENCE: Ch 27. Earth's Materials, Systems & Surface Processes

Which of these is part of the Earth's lithosphere? Core Crust Hydrosphere Liquid Mantle

Crust

How is erosion different from weathering? Erosion only happens with glaciers. Weathering is the depositing of eroded rock, while erosion is the movement of rock. Weathering happens by physical processes and erosion happens by chemical processes. Erosion is the movement of rock, while weathering is the breaking down of rock.

Erosion is the movement of rock, while weathering is the breaking down of rock.

Which of the following is a common theory of how the Earth and other planets were formed? From the absolute center of the Milky Way galaxy. From a large interstellar cloud of dust and gas coalescing From another planet that broke off to become the Earth. From a cloud of helium, oxygen and hydrogen.

From a large interstellar cloud of dust and gas coalescing

Which of the following types of radioactive decay does not result in a change in the number of protons and neutrons within a nucleus, but does release a lot of energy? Alpha Decay Delta Decay Beta Decay Gamma Decay

Gamma Decay

In uranium-lead dating, we see that two unstable uranium isotopes decay into stable lead isotopes. Which of the following statements is true about this decay? Uranium-238 and uranium-235 both decay to lead-206. Uranium-238 and uranium-235 both decay to lead-207. Uranium-235 decays to lead-206; uranium-238 decays to lead-207. Uranium-238 decays to lead-206; uranium-235 decays to lead-207.

Uranium-238 decays to lead-206; uranium-235 decays to lead-207.

Which statement best describes how the black sand beaches in Hawaii are formed? Volcanic rocks weather to small pieces that erode and are deposited on shorelines by waves. Rocks erode to small pieces that are swept away by waves, leaving behind beaches. Lava hardens into small grains that are weathered right on the beaches. Sand from the bottom of the ocean is carried up by strong waves and accumulates over time, forming the beaches.

Volcanic rocks weather to small pieces that erode and are deposited on shorelines by waves.

Which of these is an example of physical weathering? Acid rain Water freezing in cracks A tree growing out of a stone Moss growing on a stone

Water freezing in cracks

Cape Cod's beaches are a result of which of the following? Deposition Weathering and Deposition Volcanoes Weathering

Weathering and Deposition

When waves break down a sea cliff, pick up and carry the debris, and dump on the shore forming a beach, what processes are happening, and in what order are they happening? Weathering, then deposition, then erosion Erosion, then deposition, then weathering Weathering, then erosion, then deposition Erosion, then weathering, then deposition

Weathering, then erosion, then deposition

The ___________ age of an Earth material is a measure of how old it actually is in years. relative precise accessible absolute

absolute

An interface between discontinuous layers of rock is called _____. an unconformity an inclusion a cross-cut an intrusion

an unconformity

Where in the Milky Way galaxy is our solar system located? At the absolute end of one of the arms. Our solar system is not in the Milky Way galaxy. In the approximate center of the galaxy. In the middle of one of the arms.

In the approximate center of the galaxy.

Why is the water cycle significant to Earth's habitats? The water cycle does not play a significant role in regard to Earth's habitats. It affects the economies of the world, making the countries with less rainfall poorer than countries with more abundant water supply. It affects weather, land features, global temperatures, and drinking water supplies. It affects the development of alternative energy sources, making the countries with diminished rainfall less desirable locations for engineers to research forms of alternative energy.

It affects weather, land features, global temperatures, and drinking water supplies.

Why is Earth called the blue planet? It is the color of the planet that is displayed by reflecting heat from the sun. It shows up as a bright blue hue from space since it is covered with water. It is the color of the planet that is displayed after absorbing sunlight. It appears to have a blue tint when seen from space due to the color of the sky.

It shows up as a bright blue hue from space since it is covered with water.

Surface water is mostly found on Earth in the form of _____. Rivers Water vapor Lakes Streams

Lakes

The Mesozoic Era was the Age of Dinosaurs, and the current Cenozoic Era is the Age of _____. Birds Mammals Humans Ice

Mammals

How are mantle plumes and hot spots related? The core forms a hot spot which moves through the crust to form a mantle plume. Mantle plumes rise and break through the crust, forming hot spots. Hot spot is another word for mantle plume. Hot spots erupt and form mantle plumes.

Mantle plumes rise and break through the crust, forming hot spots.

Which of the following is the term used for the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by releasing radiation? Radioactive decay Radioactive detection Radioactive neutralization Gamma ray reduction

Radioactive decay

Which of the following terms is used to describe the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by releasing radiation? Radioactive stabilization Radioactive explosion Radiocentric decay Radioactive decay

Radioactive decay

__________ dating is limited because it can only measure the age of materials up to 75,000 years old. Amino acid Radiocarbon Radioscopic Potassium-argon

Radiocarbon

Which of the following events is LEAST likely to trigger a tsunami? A volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii Rock weathering in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands An underwater landslide An underwater earthquake that causes a plate to move upwards

Rock weathering in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands

What are two NATURAL effects of groundwater movement on the landscape? Deltas and levees Sinkholes and caverns Erosion and abrasion Subsidence and sinkholes Waterfalls and rapids

Sinkholes and caverns

_____ is water that is held in the ground, but above groundwater, and can be found in the spaces between dirt particles following irrigation or rain. Soil moisture Field moisture Surface water Waterlogged soil

Soil moisture

A scientist would not be able to use radiocarbon dating to find the age of which of the following samples? Cloth from an ancient garment found in 500-year-old burial Tissue from a human body found in 16th-century burial Wood from a 2,000-year-old settlement Stone from a 1,000-year-old settlement

Stone from a 1,000-year-old settlement

Which of the following is NOT a direct agent of erosion? Wind Sunlight Gravity Water

Sunlight

In its early stages, the Earth looked much different than it does now. How would you differentiate between the two stages? The early Earth was a lot hotter and much larger than it is now. The early Earth had not yet taken shape and was a swirling collection of rocks. The early Earth contained a vast number of life forms that are not seen today. The early Earth was mostly in a liquid form, held together by gravity.

The early Earth was a lot hotter and much larger than it is now.

Which of the following is true about the Hawaiian islands? The islands are all the same age. The oldest island is to the southeast and the youngest is northwest. The islands get older as you travel northwest. There is no order to their age.

The islands get older as you travel northwest.

Radiometric dating is a method used to date rocks based on what? The known environmental activities of the area, such as past volcanic activity and deposition The known composition of the parent rocks The known date the rock was formed The known decay rate of radioactive isotopes within the rocks

The known decay rate of radioactive isotopes within the rocks

Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? It was built on a floodplain. The land below it has subsided. It was not designed correctly. It was built on a sinkhole. There is an underground river below it.

The land below it has subsided.

In the process of thermoluminescence, scientists can determine when a material was last __________. modified heated frozen submerged

heated

If a large green forest disappeared in time and became dry and barren, what would be the result in the Earth's balance of energy? gain of energy no change in energy large change in humidity loss of energy

loss of energy If a green forest became dry and barren, a larger amount of incoming solar radiation would be reflected at the surface. This would cause less energy to be absorbed at the surface, which would result in a cooler surface temperature.

If the ocean circulation in the Atlantic Ocean were to shut down, how would this affect the energy flow at the poles? loss of energy in the system no change of energy in the system more energy in the system equalization of energy at the poles

loss of energy in the system If the ocean circulation in the North Atlantic were to shut down, this would cause a loss of energy in the system at the poles. Less energy from the equator would be transported to the poles.

If dust particles in the atmosphere, due to an eruption of a volcano, disappeared in time, what would be the result? no change in energy flow in the system less energy flow in the system cooler surface temperatures more energy flow in the system

more energy flow in the system

Most effects of groundwater movement are _____. naturally influenced caused by abrasion caused by acid rain harmful human influenced

naturally influenced

Water covers 70% of the Earth's surface. Of that, 97% of all the water on Earth comes from _____, while 3% is _____. freshwater; in the ice caps oceans; glaciers oceans; groundwater oceans; freshwater

oceans; freshwater

Any inclusion found within sedimentary rock must be _____ that rock. younger than causing an unconformity in the same age as older than

older than

The Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous _____ make up the Mesozoic era. eons eras epochs periods

periods

If solar activity changed the energy balance of the Earth, what term best describes this affect? climate sensitivity solar energy solar storm radiative forcing

radiative forcing

When scientists use two or more Earth materials to determine an age by comparison, they are determining the _________ age of a material. relative precise calendar absolute

relative

The Principle of Original Horizontality applies only to _____ rocks. sedimentary igneous younger metamorphic

sedimentary

Which of the following describes the process of weathering? the process that adds sediment, soil, and additional mass to a landform. the process through which physical, chemical, and biological methods wear down a landform. the process of predicting how major landforms will look in the far future. the process of determining the exact age of landforms, such as mountains and coastlines.

the process through which physical, chemical, and biological methods wear down a landform.

Groundwater occurs in _____. the unsaturated zone sink holes floodplains soil moisture the saturated zone

the saturated zone

About how much of the Earth is water? 30% 10% 70% 50% 90%

70%

Which is an example of chemical weathering? All of these Water freezing in the rock's cracks Acid rain falling on a limestone cliff A tree growing out of a rock

Acid rain falling on a limestone cliff

Which of the following is NOT a way that glaciers change landforms? All of these are ways that glaciers change landforms By scouring the land beneath to create valleys. By picking up rocks and boulders and carrying them away. By depositing rock debris, creating a moraine.

All of these are ways that glaciers change landforms

A large nucleus may get to a more stable state by emitting two protons and two neutrons. This describes which type of radioactive decay? Alpha Decay Delta Decay Beta Decay Gamma Decay

Alpha Decay

What mountain chain once resembled the Rockies, but has been weathered down? Alps Yukon Himalaya Appalachians

Appalachians

Which is NOT a type of weathering? Physical Weathering Chemical Weathering Biological Weathering Aquatic Weathering

Aquatic Weathering

If Sedimentary Layer A occurs above Sedimentary Layer C and Sedimentary Layer B is below Sedimentary Layer C, which of the following is the correct order of the layers (from oldest to youngest)? B, C, A C, A, B A, B, C C, B, A

B, C, A

James needs to write a report which will describe the ups and downs of mammals in a previous time period. Why would discussing epochs make sense? Because epochs are the longest possible measurement of time Because mammals only started existing 10,000,000 years ago Because it can display the entire story, including the fall of the dinosaurs Because longer periods of time, such as eras, are too long and include other types of living creatures

Because longer periods of time, such as eras, are too long and include other types of living creatures

If a parent nucleus is feeling unstable because the ratio of neutrons to protons is too great, it might undergo a type of radioactive decay which results in the neutron emitting an electron (a beta particle) from the nucleus and turning into a proton. This describes what type of radioactive decay? Delta Decay Beta Decay Gamma Decay Alpha Decay

Beta Decay

What massive terrain feature of Canada was formed by deposition? Tundra Canadian Shield St. Lawrence River Yukon

Canadian Shield

The Earth was under continuous bombardment by meteorites and comets as it formed and continued to take shape. What was the significance of comets hitting the Earth during that time? Comets enriched the Earth with crystals and metals such as iron ore and manganese. Comets enriched the Earth with gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and ammonia. Comets brought liquid water to the Earth that contributed to the formation of the oceans. Comets contributed nothing to the Earth other than killing off all of the dinosaurs.

Comets enriched the Earth with gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and ammonia.

In dendrochronology, scientists count ______________. tree rings amino acids atoms fossils

tree rings

What would be the result if a snowy surface became darker over time from air pollution? loss of energy flow in the systsem warmer surface temperature no change in energy flow in the system no change in surface temperature

warmer surface temperature

The process where rocks and minerals are broken down by the elements of nature is called _____. weathering physical destruction erosion deposition

weathering

Any fault lines or igneous intrusions that cut across a set of rock strata must be _____ that set of rock. younger than the same age as creating an inclusion in older than

younger than

Which state was largely formed by volcanoes? California Rhode Island New York Hawaii

Hawaii

How long after the Earth was formed did it take to achieve the state we recognize now? About 10-20 million years. About 100 million years. About 1 billion years. About 500 million years.

About 10-20 million years.

Which is an example of biological weathering? Acid rain Water freezing inside a rock A tree growing out of rock Erosion leaving unequal layers of rock

A tree growing out of rock

How does an eon differ from an era? Eons measure the time during which humanity existed, while eras measure everything since the Earth was formed. Eons focus on the existence of Earth, while eras measure the passage of time from the Big Bang. An eon spans hundreds to thousands of millions of years, while eras span tens to hundreds of millions of years. An eon spans up to a million years, while eras span longer than 2 million years.

An eon spans hundreds to thousands of millions of years, while eras span tens to hundreds of millions of years.

Which of these features would have been impossible without weathering? Grand Canyon Himalayas None of these Rocky Mountains

Grand Canyon

Which of the following terms is used to describe the time required for a quantity to fall to half of its starting value? Half-Life Full-Life Decay-Life Halted-Life

Half-Life

Which of the following statements is true of radiocarbon dating? The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years, but carbon-14 does not change. The half-life of carbon-14 is 1.3 billion years, and carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14. The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years, and carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14. The half-life of carbon-14 is 50 billion years, and carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14.

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years, and carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14.

Why do many geologists study layers of strata? They are interested in the exploitation of fossil fuels. They want to learn more about the history of the Earth. They are interested in determining how dinosaurs went extinct. They hope to discover Greek-era ruins.

They want to learn more about the history of the Earth.